Teeth Grinding: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

You might not notice grinding your teeth while sleeping but might feel severe jaw pain and dental issues throughout the day. Additionally, you will notice loose teeth too. If you are unaware of the problem and have queries related to the same, this article will help you a lot.

In this piece, you can find all information about teeth grinding, its symptoms, causes, and treatment procedures.

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a dental condition when you clench and grind your enamels. While it doesn't cause any harm to your body, it wears down your teeth and hurts your jaw muscles. This can lead to a temporomandibular joint syndrome where you have difficulty eating and talking. The temporomandibular joint connects the skull with your jawbone and helps you in the movement of your jaws and mouth.

When you have mild bruxism, you might not need treatment. But if you have frequent bruxism, this might require treatment as it might lead to headaches, teeth damage, and related issues.

Bruxism is of two types: sleep bruxism and awake bruxism.

1. Sleep Bruxism

This is harmful as it involves grinding teeth in sleep. As you are unaware of the situation, you might not receive any help. Additionally, you do not realise how forcefully you are clenching your teeth. Sleep bruxism is often followed by other sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

2. Awake Bruxism

It is awake bruxism when you start chewing and grinding the teeth and jaw during the day or when you are awake. If you are anxious or stressed, you might experience awake bruxism. This form of bruxism usually doesn't require treatment since you can stop yourself as soon as you notice yourself clenching the teeth.

Symptoms of bruxism include:

• Chipped, fractured, or loosened teeth due to grinding.
• Worn-out enamel exposing the teeth and the deeper layers of gums.
• Severe toothaches, jaw pain, face pain, or sensitivity. It might lead to soreness too.
• Locked jaw or tired jaw muscles that you cannot move comfortably. 
• Damaged cheek inner lining
• Headaches and earaches, although the problem is not with your ears.
• Sleep disruptions and insufficient sleep.
• Clicking or popping your jaws while eating or talking.

The major contributors to bruxism include:

1. Stress

According to a recent study, bruxism connects to your emotional state of mind. If you are stressed out or have any anxiety-related issues, these can cause mental tension. Additionally, stress might also happen due to certain social situations. However, it disturbs the psychological state of mind, which might lead to bruxism if you suppress it. Obsessive-compulsive disorders and certain personality issues also lead to teeth grinding as they add excess pressure to your subconscious mind.

2. Consuming Alcohol and Chewing Tobacco

When you consume alcohol or chew tobacco, it might intensify the chances of sleep bruxism. This is because your muscles tend to become hyperactive, leading to teeth grinding. In addition, the impact of alcohol on your central nervous system includes altering the levels of serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and extrapyramidal sections. As these alterations get affected, it impacts the role of glutamate on the dopaminergic system leading to alterations in your behaviour and activity. This then leads to bruxism.

3. Drinking Caffeinated Products

Caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee, energy drinks, and soda intensify the chances of bruxism. Caffeine is a stimulant that initiates muscle activity, hence requiring you to wake up several times at night.

Teeth grinding treatments include the following:

1. Wearing Mouthguards

As per a recent study, wearing mouthguards before going to sleep can be a treatment to reduce bruxism. They cushion your teeth and cease them from clenching against each other. You can custom-make your mouthguard after consulting your dentist to reduce strain and damage to your teeth due to rigorous teeth grinding. Made of soft materials, manufacturers make them keeping the size of your jaw in mind.

2. Reductive Coronoplasty

Dentists use this dental procedure to shape or smoothen your teeth's biting surface. This is effective in bruxism if you have crooked, crowded, or misaligned teeth. The damage due to teeth grinding includes wearing down your enamel which your dentist can cure via reductive coronoplasty.

3. Botox Treatments

In a recent study, researchers have found that Botox or botulinum toxin injections might reduce the frequency of bruxism. However, you must always discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the procedure with your dentist before undergoing it. Botox will not cure bruxism completely but can help relax the jawline muscles leading to alleviation of teeth grinding.

4. Biofeedback Treatment

This is a procedure where a biofeedback therapist teaches you the process of controlling the movements of your jaw muscles via vibratory, auditory and visual feedback. This generates from electromyography. Although the effectiveness of this procedure is still to be confirmed, it can temporarily help to reduce sleep and awake bruxism.

5. Meditation, Yoga and Talk Therapy

Meditation, yoga, and talk therapy are effective practices to reduce your stress and anxiety. Additionally, if you talk to a counsellor or a therapist, discussing the reasons for your concern, this will reduce the mental pressure you may hold in your subconscious mind. This is talk therapy, where you share your feelings with a trusted source. However, your counsellor may also prescribe medicines to help reduce anxiety levels.

6. Exercise of Tongue and Jaws

Performing jaw and tongue exercises will ensure relaxation of the facial and jawline muscles leading to an alignment of the jaws. Try the following steps:

Step 1: Start by opening your mouth wide enough and touching your tongue to the front section of your teeth. Continue doing this, as this helps to relax your jaws.

Step 2: To avoid clenching and ceasing your top and bottom teeth from touching, say the letter “N” word loudly. Practise this twice or thrice a day.

Step 3: Try to gently massage your jaws and slowly move your jaws like chewing. This will loosen the facial muscles.

Following are the factors that enhance your risk of teeth grinding:

• Aggressive Personality: If you have an aggressive personality, there is a risk of bruxism.
• Hereditary: Another risk factor associated with bruxism is if you have a family history of the condition. In this case, chances are that other members might also have this disorder.
• Antidepressants: Consuming antidepressant medicines might increase the chances of teeth grinding.

Following are the tips you must consider to stop bruxism:

1. First, avoid alcohol consumption as it increases the chances of bruxism after you have it.
2. Cut back on caffeinated drinks and food such as tea, coffee, chocolates, and certain beverages.
3. Avoid chewing products that are not food or avoid chewing gums. This leads to loosening your jawline and makes it more prone to clenching.
4. Hold a warm cloth or towel against your cheek at night to relax your jaws before going to sleep.
5. Try to keep yourself away from stress and anxiety as this adversely affects your mental and physical health and leads to teeth grinding.