Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, can have negative implications for your health, as well as the quality of your sleep, but thankfully, we have some excellent solutions at the ready. If your partner is complaining about you grinding your teeth or you regularly wake up with symptoms such as headaches or jaw pain, call us today!

What causes tooth grinding?

There are several possible causes of tooth grinding, but most cases are linked to stress and anxiety. Other possible causes include loose fillings and orthodontic issues. It is not fully understood why feeling anxious or worried makes you grind your teeth, but research suggests that if you are feeling stressed, have a high pressure job or have character traits such as being highly-strung or a perfectionist, you are more likely to grind your teeth. Most people grind their teeth without even knowing it, as it occurs while you sleep.

What are the effects of tooth grinding?

Tooth grinding has various implications for your oral and general health. Grinding and clenching the teeth can contribute to tooth wear and damage and you may also find that you wake up with headaches, pain, stiffness in the jaw and dental pain. Grinding your teeth can also disrupt your sleep patterns, which may make you feel tired during the day.

Dealing with tooth grinding

If you’re struggling with tooth grinding, we recommend wearing a bite guard during the night. A bite guard is a custom-fitted device designed to protect your teeth by providing a barrier between the upper and lower arches of teeth while you sleep. With the guard in place, there is no risk of the teeth clashing together and you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep and wake up without any pain. We can also offer advice to help our patients cope with stress.

If you’re battling bruxism, we are here to help you win the fight. Bruxism, also known as tooth grinding, is a fairly common problem and can have serious effects. Thankfully, there are some effective solutions out there and we are confident we can help you to banish bruxism for good.

Why am I grinding my teeth?

Grinding the teeth occurs most commonly when you sleep and many people are unaware that they do it until somebody else informs them as it happens sub-consciously. There are several possible reasons why you might grind your teeth, including:

• stress: studies show that stress increases the risk of bruxism. Common causes of stress include financial pressures, deadlines at work, family problems and illness.
• anxiety: if you’re nervous or worried about something, this can contribute to stress and you may struggle to sleep and show signs of anxiety when you sleep. Bruxism, nightmares and restlessness are examples of this.
• loose crowns, fillings or other such restorations
• orthodontic issues that affect the way the top and bottom sets of teeth fit together

Treating bruxism

The best way to treat bruxism is to determine the cause of the problem. Once we understand why you are grinding your teeth, we can work to find an effective solution. Most cases of bruxism are not linked to an underlying health or dental problem and lifestyle changes and stress management techniques may help. Tackling stress can help to reduce symptoms and possible ways of achieving this include talking therapies, counselling, breathing exercises, physical exercise and meditation. For cases where there is no obvious cause, such as loose fillings or orthodontic issues, we often recommend wearing a bite guard. Bite guards help to prevent contact between the teeth while you sleep. Every bite guard is custom-made, so you should find the appliance very comfortable.

If there are clear issues related to orthodontics, we can discuss treatment options with you. We are proud to offer a number of solutions for patients who suffer with problems such as under or overbite, crooked teeth or crowding. We are also able to replace or repair any loose or damaged restorations.

If tooth grinding is keeping your partner awake at night and causing you to suffer painful headaches or jaw ache when you wake up, we have some solutions that will help.

What causes tooth grinding?

Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a common sub-conscious action that usually occurs during the night while you sleep. Sometimes the cause is not known, but in many cases tooth grinding is linked to stress or anxiety, loose crowns or fillings, or orthodontic issues that affect the way the upper and lower arches of teeth fit together.

If you’ve noticed your partner grinding their teeth, you have been waking up with a sore jaw, headaches or shoulder pain or you’ve noticed that your teeth look a little worn, there’s no need to suffer in silence. It’s a good idea to address bruxism because it can contribute to tooth damage and symptoms of TMJ disorder (a disorder affecting the temporomandibular joint).

Solutions for tooth grinding

The first thing we do when we see a patient with symptoms of tooth grinding is to ascertain a possible cause. Once we have identified the cause, we can then work out a plan of action. In cases where bruxism is linked to damaged fillings, crowns or veneers, we can repair restorations and this should prevent symptoms. If orthodontic issues seem to be the problem, we may recommend treatment options such as braces. We will talk you through the different treatment options, answer your questions and explain how treatment could benefit you.

In the case of an individual suffering from stress or anxiety, there are various stress management techniques such as exercise, breathing exercises and meditation. We can provide advice about coping with stress and we can also provide custom-made bite guards designed to provide a physical barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent contact and subsequent wear and tear. The guard is custom-fit for the individual and it can really make a difference to your symptoms as well as the quality of sleep you and the people around you enjoy.

If stress is getting to you and you’re waking up with headaches or tooth pain, we can help to banish bruxism for good.

About bruxism

Bruxism is the medical name for tooth grinding or clenching, a sub-conscious action that occurs during sleep and can have significant implications for your oral and general health. In many cases, stress is believed to be a contributing factor tooth grinding. Anxiety, loose fillings and misaligned teeth can also increase the risk of bruxism.

Bruxism can harm the teeth, but it can also result in aches and pains in the head, neck, shoulders, back and jaw. It can also affect the quality of your sleep and that of the people around you.

Coping with bruxism

If you grind your teeth on a regular basis, it’s advisable to seek advice from your dentist. We can provide treatments and advice to help to reduce the risk of bruxism and improve your sleep, as well as your health.

In cases linked to stress, we are able to recommend stress and anxiety management techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, talking therapies and exercise. We can also provide patients with custom-made bite guards, which help to prevent physical contact between the top and bottom arches of teeth.

We can also provide relief for those who suffer from bruxism as a result of loose fillings and orthodontic issues that affect the bite. Treatment options may include replacing fillings and using braces to align the teeth and jaws.

If bruxism is keeping you awake at night or you’re struggling to deal with stress, call us now and we will help.