The Daily Grind: Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) and How to Stop It

If your bed partner complains that your teeth gnashing is keeping him up at night, he may be doing you a favor. Grinding your teeth can lead to pain and dental problems. And you may not be aware you're doing it unless someone overhears the noise and lets you know.

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth clenching (holding your jaws together tightly) or teeth grinding (rubbing your teeth back and forth over each other). It can happen during the day or at night (when it's called sleep bruxism). It may be an ongoing problem or something that happens just once in a while.

What causes bruxism?
There's no clear-cut cause for why people clench or grind their teeth. Among the possibilities are:

• Stress
• An uneven bite or crooked or missing teeth
• Sleep problems, such as sleep apnea (a breathing disorder that occurs when you sleep)
• Smoking
• Drinking caffeine or alcohol
• Taking certain medications, such as some antidepressants
• Complications of a neuromuscular condition, such as Parkinson's disease

What are the consequences of grinding your teeth?
Besides annoying your sleeping partner, teeth grinding can affect your health and quality of life. Possible results of ongoing, severe bruxism include:

• Pain in your face, jaw and ears
• Head and neck ache
• Earaches
• Loose or damaged teeth, fillings and gums
• Abnormal bite
• Disrupted sleep

How can you stop grinding your teeth?
Sometimes, just being aware that you are clenching or grinding your teeth may help you control the behavior. You may also help reduce bruxism triggers if you:

• Manage stress. Learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga. If you have severe stress and anxiety, you may want to consider counseling.
• Change some habits. Quit smoking, and limit caffeine and alcohol.
• See your dentist. You can get treatment to realign your bite or build up worn-down teeth or fillings if needed. Ask if a nighttime mouth guard or splint to your teeth would help.
• Have your sleep patterns studied and corrected if needed. Talk to your doctor about having a sleep study. It can detect if you have sleep apnea and then you can get corrective devices to help get it under control. Your doctor can refer you to a sleep clinic in your area.
• Change your medication. You may be taking a medication that is causing the problem. If so, your doctor may switch you to another one in the same class or give you a muscle-relaxing medication to help reduce the grinding behavior.

Learning to live with it
To help cope with symptoms of bruxism, such as noise, pain and teeth damage:

• Relax your jaw and facial muscles at times during the day. Engage in soothing before-bedtime activities, like reading or listening to soft music.
• Apply ice or a warm, wet washcloth to help relax sore facial and jaw muscles.
• Make sure to use any appliance that your dentist has given you to help protect your teeth.

Related Articles Periodontal Disease: Risk Factors Snoring and Sleep Apnea

External Sources American Dental Association. Teeth grinding (bruxism). Accessed November 12, 2007. Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. Bruxism (teeth grinding). Accessed November 12, 2007. Lee-Chiong TL Jr. Parasomnias and other sleep-related movement disorders. Primary Care. 2005;32:415-434. National Sleep Foundation. Bruxism. Accessed November 12, 2007. Ohayon MM, Li KK, Guilleminault C. Risk factors for sleep bruxism in the general population. Chest. 2001;119:53-61.

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