What Causes Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) When Sleeping?

What Causes Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) When Sleeping?

Bruxism (teeth grinding), which is one of the most common dental problems of our age, is directly related to stress. Bruxism, popularly known as teeth grinding, is a condition that damages the jaw joints.

Bruxism, which is one of the most common dental problems in society, mostly occurs during sleep. The person unwittingly clenches his/her jaw while sleeping. While this action of teeth grinding, which is done completely unconsciously, is sometimes so loud that it can be heard from the outside; sometimes it happens only by squeezing the muscles silently. In the first case, if someone is staying in the same room with the person, they notice the situation, and early intervention can be made. But in the latter case, bruxism goes unnoticed for a long time. Individuals who have been clenching their teeth at night for a while may experience face, ear, head, and neck pain in the morning. When bruxism progresses a little further, jaw pain and jaw locking occur.

The main reasons underlying bruxism stem from the negative emotions and moods experienced during the day. Bruxism is a way of coping with factors such as stress, anger, anxiety, and frustration that individual encounters in his/her daily life. Bruxism, which is an involuntary reaction of the body, can be eliminated in some cases by avoiding stress as much as possible. If stress, which is the strongest factor that triggers bruxism, cannot be eliminated by the individual's own efforts, professional support is recommended. For those who want to personally manage stress, methods such as doing light exercises, listening to calming music, getting enough sleep, going for a walk regularly, and taking a bath with warm water are recommended.

Apart from stress, the use of alcohol and tobacco products, excessive caffeine consumption, or structural disorders in the jaw also increase the risk of bruxism. Bruxism is a problem seen in both adults and children.

What Are the Other Treatment Options?

Teeth grinding is a treatable health problem. Although the main treatment method for this ailment is to control stress, alternative treatment methods are also used. Bruxism treatment aims to protect the teeth, prevent permanent damage to the jaw joints, and relieve pain.

You should see a dentist immediately and report your complaints if you think you have a grinding problem. Your dentist will direct you to the appropriate treatment after a detailed evaluation to be sure of the presence of bruxism. Since the treatment of bruxism is based on the source of the problem, it must first be determined what the disease is caused by. The most commonly used method in the treatment of bruxism is the use of dental plaque at night. But this method does not give immediate results; some patients use dental plaques for more than 1 year. The dentist regularly monitors the patient and controls the functioning of the treatment process. Apart from the use of dental plaque, there are also treatments such as botox, orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, and medications. More successful results are obtained when botox is used in addition to plaque treatment.

If you also suffer from bruxism, you can call our polyclinic and make an appointment with our specialist dentists, and have a comprehensive examination.