What is bruxism?
Bruxism is the technical term for grinding and clenching that wears down teeth and may cause facial pain. People who grind and clench, called bruxers, unintentionally bite down too hard at inappropriate times, such as in their sleep. People usually aren’t diagnosed with bruxism until it is too late because they don’t realize they have the habit. About one in three people suffer from bruxism, which can easily be treated by a dentist.
If you wake up with dull headaches or vise-like pain, you may be one of many people who grind their teeth at night. Many people are unaware they even have the disorder (called bruxism) because it often occurs at night during sleep. Your dentist can usually detect the telltale signs of wear on your teeth. Bruxism is the technical term for grinding and clenching that abrades teeth and may cause facial pain. People who grind and clench, called bruxers, unintentionally bite down too hard at inappropriate times, such as in their sleep. In addition to grinding teeth, bruxers also may bite their fingernails, pencils and chew the inside of their cheek. People usually aren’t diagnosed with bruxism until it is too late because so many people don’t realize they have the habit. Others mistakenly believe that their teeth must touch at all times. About one in four people suffer from bruxism, which can easily be treated by a dentist.
Bruxism is the clenching and/or grinding of your teeth, especially at night. Clenching refers to tightly clamping your top and bottom teeth together. The force of clenching causes stressful pressure on the muscles, tissues and jaw. Jaw disorders, jaw pain, soreness, headaches, earaches, damaged teeth and other problems can result from bruxism. If clenching causes jaw pain, it can disrupt sleeping and eating, lead to other dental problems or create TMJ problems. Nightly grinding can also disturb sleeping partners.
Bruxism is the term that refers to an incessant grinding and clenching of the teeth, unintentionally, and at inappropriate times. Bruxers (persons with bruxism) are often unaware that they have developed this habit, and often do not know that treatment is available until damage to the mouth and teeth have been done. Damage caused by bruxism often includes the following symptoms. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.
Bruxism, commonly known as tooth grinding, is the the clenching together of the bottom and upper jaw accompanied by the grinding of the lower set of teeth with the upper set. Bruxism affects between 10-50% of the population depending on the particular study sited. Bruxism is a subconscious behavior so many people do not realize that they are doing it ! Often it is the partner who tells them about the nighttime sounds that their bruxism produces. Although it can occur during the waking hours, bruxism most frequently occurs while we sleep. During sleep, the biting force (the force at which the jaws clench together) can be up to six times greater than the pressure during waking hours. Consequently, significant damage is much more likely to occur with this nighttime bruxism. The Results of Bruxism Bruxism can lead to pain and cause damage to gums and other oral structures. This includes: Sore Facial Muscles, Headaches, and Ear-Aches The muscles used to chew food are the same ones responsib
