Teeth Grinding and How to Prevent It

Tooth grinding or Bruxism is the clinching together of upper and bottom jaw along with grinding of upper set of teeth with lower set. About 10 to 50% of people are affected by Bruxism according to a study. Teeth grinding is a behavior of subconscious that so many people don’t even realize doing it. It is always the partner who tells them about the sounds produced by their teeth grinding at night.

Though it can appear during daytime also, but most of the times it occurs while sleeping. The biting force while sleeping can increase by six times than the pressure when you are awake. As a consequence, serious damage is most likely to happen with this nighttime grinding.

The Results of Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding can cause pain and damage to gums and other structures of mouth, this includes:

1. Headaches, ear aches and sore facial muscles: The muscles that are used to chew food are also responsible for teeth grinding. These muscles feel swelling or sensitive in the morning. This will make your jaw feel very tight or may also cause pain when you touch the sides of your mouth. This muscle pain is often referred as ear-ache, neck pain or headache.

2. Cosmetic loss: Teeth grinding or Bruxism can harm the teeth to be ground getting shortened and causes cosmetic damage as well.

3. Sensitive Teeth: During teeth grinding, the enamel of the tooth is worn out, the dentin layer of the tooth gets exposed. This makes your teeth sensitive to pressure and cold.

4. Fractured Fillings and Teeth: Fracture of teeth or fillings may get cracked because of high pressure created by teeth grinding.

Teeth Grinding in Children

Tooth grinding can be often seen in kids. Children do this because of pain and other discomforts like ear infections or cold. Children normally grind their teeth to get relief from the uneasiness caused due to allergies.