July 2017 Blog

MOST PEOPLE GRIND OR CLENCH their teeth briefly when annoyed or in a tense situation. That level of teeth-grinding isn’t really something to worry about. It’s when you do it far more frequently, often without even realizing it (you might even do it in your sleep!), that it can potentially become a serious problem. The medical term for this kind of teeth-grinding is bruxism.

Bruxism: What and Why

Sleep bruxism (or nocturnal bruxism) can happen as a side-effect of snoring and sleep apnea, and awake bruxism (or diurnal bruxism) can happen as a side-effect of stress in your daily life. However, not everyone with a sleep disorder or a stressful life has bruxism, and not everyone with bruxism has a sleep disorder or a ton of stress. Another possible cause is improperly aligned teeth.

Because there isn’t one clear cause, treatment can sometimes be tricky, and the focus is often on the symptoms and minimizing the damage more than curing the underlying condition. Even if you aren’t aware that you’re grinding your teeth, any of the following symptoms could point to bruxism:

Sore jaw (with sleep bruxism, your jaw will be most sore when you wake up, whereas with awake bruxism, it’ll be most sore before you go to bed)
Frequent headaches from all the strain
Hypertrophy in your jaw muscles (because you’re giving them quite the workout!)
Shifting teeth
Flattened chewing surfaces of teeth
Exposed dentin and increased tooth sensitivity
Chipped/cracked/split teeth
Tooth loss

Your Next Steps

Depending on which type of bruxism you have, there are a variety of treatments or approaches to either reduce the grinding or the damage it causes.

Behavioral Therapy

With behavioral therapy or habit-reversal techniques, you can become more aware of your clenching/grinding habits and consciously work to stop. This one works better when you have awake bruxism than sleep bruxism, because it’s obviously much harder to control your jaw muscles in your sleep.

Relaxation

Particularly for stress-related bruxism, relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing exercises, massages, warm baths, calming music, and a full night’s sleep can help you de-stress and stop grinding.

Wearing A Bruxism Appliance

A bruxism appliance or splint serves as a pillow between your upper and lower teeth. It won’t stop the grinding, but it protects your teeth from damage and can also help relax muscles. We make these in the dental office.

Medication

Muscle relaxant medication might help you unclench while you sleep. However, medicine is rarely used to treat bruxism, especially if other treatments are helping.

Botulinum Toxin (Botox or Xeomin)

Botox or Xeomin injected into the Masseter Muscles (large jaw muscles in your cheeks) have been shown to be of remarkable help in decreasing bruxism by weakening the muscle forces used in clenching and grinding. The safe and painless injections also help in reducing the hypertrophy of the muscles resulting in a softer and less square jawed appearance. Many patients have also experienced relief from headaches with added help of injections into the Temporalis Muscles on the sides of the forehead.

Check out this video for more information and a few other ideas on how to combat bruxism or minimize the damage:

We Can Help!

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, it may be due to bruxism and you should schedule an appointment so we can make a plan for how to address it. You don’t want to leave it untreated until it gets to the point where it’s damaging your teeth.

We love our patients!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.