bruxism · dental guard · mouth guard · night guard · teeth clenching · teeth grinding ·

What is Bruxism?

woman in discomfort trying to sleep

Studies have shown that 1 in 3 American adults suffer from bruxism, or excessive teeth grinding and jaw clenching. There are two types - awake and sleep bruxism. What follows is a high-level rundown on sleep bruxism.

Signs and symptoms of sleep bruxism, which occur primarily during sleep arousal stages, include:

  • Grinding or Tapping Noises
  • Excessive Tooth Wear and Fractures
  • Tooth Soreness and Movement
  • Hypersensitive Teeth
  • Jaw Pain and Soreness

Diagnosing sleep bruxism has long posed a challenge to doctors and patients. While a dentist will provide a comprehensive diagnosis, patients can also detect symptoms in a number of ways:

  • Self-Diagnosis: patients often detect their own symptoms such as tooth mobility and wear, hypersensitivity, mouth abrasions, and jaw muscle soreness
  • Feedback From Others: the most common form of diagnosis is through feedback from housemates and loved ones. Be proactive and ask your mates about the frequency and intensity of your grinding.
  • Mobile App Technology: a number of sound-activated mobile apps can inform those that live and sleep alone.

The causes of sleep bruxism have been researched extensively:

  • Occlusal Factors/Bite Configuration: occlusion is defined as ‘contact between teeth.’ Occlusal interferences (discrepancies with the normal path of the bite) were historically believed to be the sole cause of bruxism.
  • Stress and Other Psychosocial Factors: while bruxism is generally thought to be caused by stress, evidence is still inconclusive. Emotional stress, including that caused by anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, and hyperactivity has been closely examined.
  • Medication: while not conclusive, certain drugs (dopamine agonists, dopamine antagonists, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin re uptake inhibitors, alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamines) have been studied to cause bruxism
  • Genetics: while genetic markers have not been identified, 21-50% of those with sleep bruxism have a direct family member who also had the condition

Management and treatment of bruxism includes solutions that both help manage bruxism activity but also the negative physical effects of it:

  • Dental Guards or Occlusal Splints: offers protection of teeth against bruxism but does not reduce bruxism activity
  • Behavioral/Psychosocial Interventions: as bruxism is often driven by stress, various techniques that promote relaxation, stress management, behavioral modification, habit reversal and hypnosis have been found to be effective
  • Dental Restoration: full coverage crowns are often necessary to repair or mediate damage caused by bruxism
  • Medication: benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, dopamine agents, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, amongst others have been used to treat/reduce bruxism
  • Botox: diluted amounts of the toxin have been found to be effective in reducing bruxism for up to three months
  • Occlusal Adjustment: some dentists attempt to reorganize the occlusal scheme in order to redistribute the impact of and damage caused by regular bruxism

For a much more detailed synopsis of bruxism check out the Wikipedia page.

To start preventing the effects of Bruxism and teeth grinding, check out enCore’s selection of Custom Night Guards

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