Should You Be Concerned About Teeth Grinding?
Imagine going to the dentist for a regular visit only to find out that there is wearing of your teeth you didn’t know you had.
Your dentist asks you if you grind your teeth and you’re surprised to admit that you do not know.
You ask your partner later, who admits you occasionally grind your teeth in your sleep and that he or she has noticed you clench your jaw a lot when you’re worried.
You very well may have bruxism, a relatively common condition of adults and children in which there is chewing or gnashing of the teeth under certain conditions.
Perhaps you’ve had it all your life and now it is starting to show up in your dental visits. Perhaps it’s a condition that you inherited from a parent or other relative as this condition is inherited in some conditions. Whether or not, the name of what you’re now called is a bruxer.
Bruxism occurs in 10 percent of adults and occurs in nearly 50 percent of kids.
In children, the first sign is the gritting of the teeth that can be heard while they are asleep. It sounds like a creaking sound when they grind their teeth together.
It is the result of a rhythmic motion of the chewing muscles that occurs, for the most part, unconsciously and isn’t picked up unless someone notices it happening or unless a dentist notices tooth damage occurring.
Other side effects can be serious and need medical attention. Side effects like headaches and problems with the TMJ in the jaw can lead one to seek medical attention.
It can be part of a range of sleep disorders like sleep walking, nightmares and bed wetting. Children with epilepsy are more likely to suffer from adverse affects.
The cause varies according to the person and there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer. Often the cause is anxiety or stress however.
Want to find out more about this condition and how to rid it from your life? We show you how to get rid of your bruxism.