Sleep Tight: How To Protect Teeth From Grinding
How many times have you awakened in the morning to be told by your partner how loudly you were grinding your teeth? You probably shared a laugh but also felt a sober sense that, surely, it could have serious consequences.
Teeth grinding is not the worst of maladies, but it is an unconscious habit that is not entirely benign. There’s not much you can do during sleep to stop yourself from grinding, but you can proactively take measures to protect your teeth, jaw, and head from its effects.
Mint Dental Works describes the phenomenon of teeth grinding, why it happens, possible complications, and how you can prevent them by getting teeth grinding protection.
Table of Contents
- What Is Teeth Grinding?
- Why Do I Grind My Teeth at Night?
- What Protects Teeth from Grinding?
- What Are the Complications Associated With Unmanaged Sleep Bruxism?
- What Should I Do If I Suspect That I Grind My Teeth?
- Find Relief With the Best Teeth Grinding Protection Provided by Mint Dental Works
What Is Teeth Grinding?
Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can occur while awake or sleeping. Sleep bruxism, the habit of grinding your teeth and/or clenching your jaw while sleeping, can be more serious than awake bruxism because you’re not aware it’s happening.
Up to 40% of children and 8-16% of adults experience sleep bruxism. The activity of the jaw muscles occurs episodically, but only sometimes. While some mouth movement during sleep is normal, bruxism occurs with greater frequency and intensity.
Mint Dental Works offers a proven treatment for sleep bruxism that can help you avoid the dangers of uncontrolled teeth grinding. Contact us today to learn how to start the process.
Teeth Grinding Symptoms
Common symptoms of teeth grinding include:
- Grinding or clenching sounds that may wake up your sleep partner
- Flattened, broken, chipped, or loose teeth
- Damaged tooth enamel
- Tooth pain or sensitivity
- Fatigued or tight jaw muscles
- Pain or soreness in the jaw, neck, or face
- Pain while eating
- Pain that feels like an earache
- A dull headache that radiates from the temples
- Damage inside the mouth, for example, from chewing on the inside of your cheek
- Sleep disturbances
Why Do I Grind My Teeth at Night?
Although the reasons behind sleep bruxism are unclear, there are many possible psychological, physical, and genetic factors that can contribute to the condition, including certain daytime activities or triggers. These are unique to each patient.
Stress
For many, mental and emotional stress — especially stress related to personal duties/obligations — can manifest itself physically, causing grinding and jaw clenching. This is a natural part of the fight-or-flight response to stress.
Chronic stress affects the central nervous system by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. As a result, cortisol levels rise and bruxism reinforces itself unless treatment is successful.
Medications and Lifestyle
Taking psychiatric medications, especially certain antidepressants, may cause bruxism, though it is an uncommon side effect.
Smoking, caffeine and alcohol consumption, bad nutrition, and stress disorders may also make you more likely to exhibit bruxism.
Misaligned Bite
If your jaw is not balanced, your teeth will try to restore balance by clenching harder, thereby forcing a balance (to make your teeth touch where they don’t) at the cost of considerable effort. A truly balanced bite does not have to be forced; the teeth should touch while the jaw is in a relaxed state.
Just “Wired” To Grind
Some people are just “wired” to grind their teeth. Evidence suggests that personality type is correlated with bruxism. A study of 35 bruxism patients showed that those who exhibited teeth-grinding behaviors had the following temperament or character qualities:
- Exploratory
- Impulsive
- Irritable
- Pessimistic
- Fearful or shy
- Critical
- Detached and independent
Biting down is a normal instinctual reflex. It relieves stress and helps us concentrate better. But we shouldn’t be doing it in our sleep when modulating the force and frequency of the habit is not possible. If you are, the professionals at Mint Dental Works can help.
What Protects Teeth from Grinding?
There are several measures different kinds of experts have taken to address teeth grinding.
Sleep Guards
A mouth guard is a dental appliance that covers your teeth. There are many different kinds, and your dentist may recommend that you wear them on your upper teeth only or both your upper and lower teeth.
People who want to avoid sleep bruxism can wear these at night to protect their teeth from the excessive wear and tear associated with teeth grinding. The guards do not actually prevent grinding or clenching, but they can shield and cushion the teeth and fill in any space between the upper and lower teeth. This latter benefit may help decrease clenching that occurs as the body attempts to restore balance to a misaligned bite.
Mouth guards can be bought in stores, but for a more effective, custom-made guard, you’ll need to visit a dentist to have dental impressions made. These guards will be more comfortable, and you can avoid much of the soreness and irritation caused by store-bought guards. In addition, they are less likely to fall out at night and will last considerably longer with proper care.
Treating Root Causes
If your sleep bruxism is caused by stress, sleep apnea, or drinking coffee too late in the day, you may relieve it by treating these causes. For example, you could invest in a CPAP machine, go to stress management counseling, or unplug your coffee machine after 3 p.m.
If you are unsure of the root cause of your teeth grinding, try these interventions anyway, and see if your symptoms improve.
Botox
Botox isn’t just for suburban moms and red-carpet stars. It’s actually a pretty good tool for solving some of our inconvenient biological responses.
Botox injected into the masseter (jaw) muscles has been found to be a possible solution to sleep bruxism by way of its relaxing effect on these muscles. Injections are recommended every 3–6 months.
While Botox may be more effective than occlusal splints, some patients may be concerned about the side effects of these injections. Possible short-term effects of Botox include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Bruising and swelling at the injection site
- Crooked smile or drooling
- Eye dryness or excessive tearing
There is a rare chance that the toxin could enter your body, leading to more serious problems such as vision or breathing problems, muscle weakness, trouble swallowing or speaking, and loss of bladder control.
Braces/Invisalign/Retainers
Anything that corrects tooth misalignment — such as braces or Invisalign — can eliminate or reduce bruxism. Braces take time (typically one to two years) to fully align the teeth and thus take longer to create the desired effect.
Part of Invisalign’s influence might be immediate because the invisible braces are placed over the teeth, much like a guard, thus cushioning the teeth and balancing the bite. Retainers, used to maintain tooth position, might help mild bruxism. But since retainers are not designed for this purpose, they are not sufficient to relieve more severe cases of bruxism.
Surgical Bite Correction
A more invasive solution to bruxism is orthognathic surgery, or surgery that corrects severely compromised occlusion caused by jaw misalignment. The procedure involves moving the upper or lower jaw forward, backward, or widening it. The lower jaw may also be moved rotationally. Titanium plates and screws are used to secure the jaw in the corrected location.
Orthognathic surgery is recommended in cases of bruxism caused by temporomandibular joint disorder, in which misaligned jaws cause the teeth to rub against each other unnaturally.
This surgery requires a significant recovery time compared with the other measures and involves dietary and activity limitations for about six weeks.
What Are the Complications Associated With Unmanaged Sleep Bruxism?
Long-term teeth grinding can wear the teeth down drastically and may eventually cause a tooth or teeth to break, loosen, or fall out. If this happens, further dental work will be needed, such as:
- Bridges
- Crowns
- Implants
- Root canals
- Partial or complete dentures
Besides damage to the teeth, other complications that may result from unmanaged teeth grinding include:
- Sleep disorders
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
- Facial pain
- Headaches
What Should I Do If I Suspect That I Grind My Teeth?
Keep track of your symptoms and visit the dentists at Mint Dental Works as soon as possible. The sooner you resolve the problem, the less damage your teeth will sustain.
Tooth erosion and/or cracked teeth resulting from teeth grinding allow bacterial infiltration and possible infections that should be treated immediately. Dentin hypersensitivity can also result from tooth erosion and may eventually become a constant pain that you’ll want to deal with right away.
Find Relief With the Best Teeth Grinding Protection Provided by Mint Dental Works
For assistance with finding the best solution for your sleep bruxism, contact Mint Dental Works. We offer:
- General dentistry services to maintain oral health and treat various dental conditions
- Specialty dentistry services to treat more complex dental problems
- Cosmetic dentistry services, including orthodontics, tooth whitening, and veneers
Ours is the first LEED-certified dental practice in the United States, meaning our facility contains sustainable and environmentally friendly features that ensure a safer, healthier environment for our patients. In addition, our superior diagnostic tools allow us to give our patients a more efficient and comfortable experience than your average dentist.
Whatever your need, Mint Dental Works can meet it. Contact us today by visiting our website or calling our office, and make Mint Dental Works your SE Portland dentist.
The content in this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.