Bruxism is an act of regular grinding and clenching of your teeth. Some people clench their teeth consciously when they are awake, and this condition is known as awake bruxism. In contrast, others are habitual of clenching or grinding their teeth while sleeping, and this condition is known as night bruxism.
No matter what type of bruxism you are experiencing, it is essential to pay significant importance to getting rid of this habit. Because if left untreated, bruxism can lead to jaw pain, tooth damage, and other oral health complications.
In this oral health guide, we will let you know how you can diagnose bruxism and will share some of the effective treatments for bruxism. So, stay connected to us and continue reading this guide to explore all the helpful information you need to know about diagnosing and treating bruxism.
Symptoms of Bruxism
Most of the symptoms of bruxism are related to your teeth and jaw. Your teeth might appear worn down or chipped. Furthermore, grinding can also wear down tooth enamel. Your kid's teeth might get sensitive to hot can cold foods and drinks. If this problem is left untreated, especially among children, it may lead to complex dental issues in future.
Kids who grind their teeth are often found complaining about a sore jaw. This can happen when kids wake up or when they are chewing.
In addition, teeth grinding can also lead to headaches, facial pain or earaches. Excessive teeth grinding can cause temporomandibular joint problems. That’s why you must consider using mouthguard for grinding teeth.
Some of the other common symptoms of teeth grinding are:
- Stress and Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Tension
Some people grind their teeth even if they don't have any issues. They aren't even aware that they are grinding their teeth, especially if they do it while sleeping.
Sometimes the only way people become aware that they grind their teeth is when a family member hears and lets them know that they were grinding their teeth while sleeping.
How Is Bruxism Diagnosed?
The patient must show tooth grinding sounds while sleeping coupled with tooth wear, jaw pain, and headaches to be diagnosed with bruxism. A dentist might experience these symptoms during a regular appointment.
A physical exam usually lets the dentist know if you or your child is habitual of grinding their teeth. Your dentist will notice worn teeth and enamel if you consistently grind your teeth. Medical professionals usually consider teeth grinding a diagnosis when a patient complains about any facial or oral pain, including soreness while chewing.
Since sleep bruxism occurs during the night, the dentist relies on reports of family members who sleep nearby and report grinding clenching noises to the dentist.
Treatments for Bruxism
The treatment of bruxism focuses on controlling the damage caused to your teeth and minimizing the impact of pain and headaches. In addition to that, improving sleep quality, minimizing stress and improving lifestyle reduce symptoms related to bruxism.
Let’s discuss some of the best solutions that can help in dealing with bruxism.
Let’s discuss some of the best solutions that can help in dealing with bruxism.
Wearing Nightguards
Wearing a night guard or splint is an excellent way of protecting your teeth, especially when you are sleeping. These nightguards and splints are an effective treatment for bruxism. Apart from shielding the teeth from friction, these splints fit over the top or bottom teeth and are designed to reposition the jaw.
Minimize Stress and Anxiety
One of the best ways of dealing with bruxism is managing triggers that lead to stress and anxiety. Managing stress and anxiety helps in reducing teeth grinding. Some of the best ways of managing stress and anxiety are:
- Indulging in healthy physical activity
- Doing regular exercise
- Going for a walk
- Improving lifestyle
Stay away from those events which trigger stress and anxiety in your life. You can book an appointment with a mental health professional and seek help to reduce stress and anxiety.
Improve Sleep Routine
Improving the bedtime routine can help in dealing with night bruxism. Make sure you sleep in a dark and quiet room and limit your time on electronic media. Consume a diet that is low in added sugars.
Relieve Symptoms that Cause Bruxism
Reducing symptoms that cause bruxism is another great way of getting rid of bruxism. You should work on relaxing the face muscles during the day. Doing this will help you get rid of night bruxism.
Similarly, you can use a cold or hot compress to soothe your jaws and teeth. Drink plenty of water and avoid hard foods and chewing gum. Your dentist may suggest several stretching exercises and facial massage techniques that can help combat bruxism.
I had no ideal what this was when I read the name. Have never heard of it before. LOTS of good information. I like many just though it was grinding their teeth.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of this. Thank you for the information.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this information, I did not know that this was an actual condition
ReplyDeleteI've really never heard about this before. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this one, thanks for sharing the info.~
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this before! It was very interesting to read about, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMany people suffer from bruxism (also called clenching), a pattern of clenching and jaw tension that is common in many different populations. Bruxism can cause pain, overwork and poor dentition, as well as affect quality of life.
ReplyDeleteFirst, let's define what we mean by "bruxism". Bruxism is defined as the forceful clenching and jaw locking that occurs with difficulty during speech or eating. burnt tongue
Bruxism is most commonly referred to clinically as “clenching” or “restless jaw.”
How are individuals diagnosed with bruxism?
First, there are a number of ways to diagnose bruxism. This includes:
1) observing an individual's teeth when they speak;
2) observing an individual's teeth when they chew;
3) inspecting the patient for bruxal signs (snapping teeth or clenching teeth); and many others.
What forms of treatment do you recommend?
First, you will want to try a few different types of treatments for your patient to determine which works best for them. Some patients respond well to fluoride treatments; others do not respond well to anything at all. You should always start with a trial size dose (1 mL/day), so you can get a better idea on which one works best for your patient. Some patients may need something stronger than 1 mL/day, while some patients may not react at all after 1 mL/day of fluoride toothpaste in their mouth—however most patients do not require anything stronger than 1 mL/day; however you should always start with lower doses in order to see how it affects the patient before increasing it further down the road. A good rule of thumb is to start with 0.5mL/day, increase every week up until one month worth or 1 month worth or 2 months worth etc., then you can slowly increase your dose level until you reach your desired level (for example: if your initial dose is 0.5mL/day then increase it by 0.75mL/day every week until you reach 3mL/week). From there on out, I would recommend gradually increasing your dosage by increments each time until your desired dosage has been reached (for example: if your initial dose is 3mL/week then increase it by 2ml/week every week). The goal here is for the patient to only receive dental fluoride treatments once per year—never more than once