Have you experienced clenching or grinding of teeth at night? You may be suffering from bruxism. Kids are usually affected by bruxism. Parents would hear their kids gnashing and grinding their teeth during sleep, and this is disturbing for any parent. Bruxism however, is also common among adults from ages 22-45 .

What is bruxism? Bruxism is a habit of clenching or grinding teeth and is not a very serious disorder. When one clenches his teeth, the top and bottom teeth press together causing force on the muscles, tissues and jaws. It can be painful resulting to jaw disorders, headaches and earaches including teeth wear and damage. At worse, it can result to Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome or pain in the jaw joint due to some other medical disorders.

Kinds of Bruxism

There are two general kinds of bruxism.

• Certain stimuli like anger can involuntarily cause clenched teeth and tensed jaw; this is called awake bruxism. Tooth grinding is not generally observed in awake bruxism .
• Teeth grinding and muscle contraction of the jaw are characteristics of sleep bruxism.

Bruxism is further classified into:

• Primary bruxism is not related to any prior medical condition
• Secondary bruxism is attributed to some medical disorders like Parkinson’s disease. This is also an effect of psychiatric condition, depression and anxiety where patients are prescribed the use of antidepressant drugs. Secondary bruxism is also caused by recreational drugs like cocaine and ecstasy.

Causes of Bruxism

Emotional factors such as frustration, stress, tension, anger suppression can cause bruxism.  People who are under stressful situations are observed to control anger by clenching their teeth. Arguments between parents and children can cause stress to the child and may induce teeth grinding and jaw contraction during sleep. Those who consume alcohol, tobacco and 6 cups of caffeine daily are at risk of bruxism.

Drug-Induced Bruxism

Recent studies show that drugs taken for certain disorders can also contribute to the habit of grinding or gnashing teeth. Psychotropic drugs such those for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), antipsychotic and antidepressant can induce bruxism.

Articles published by Olanrewaju Obisesan in 2005, the medicines found to induce bruxism are the following:

• Effexor (venlafaxine)
• Haldol (haloperidol)
• Luvox (fluvoxamine)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)

Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism may just be a habit but pay attention to the following symptoms of grinding teeth. Bruxism can be painful and chronic bruxism may result to temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ).

• Damage to the teeth enamel
• Chipped and flattened tops
• Oversensitive teeth to hot or cold
• Headaches in the morning
• Indentation on the tongues
• Jaw or face pains
• Earaches

Sleep bruxism is being linked to other sleep disorders especially Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. This is a sleep disorder characterized by periods of awakening when breathing stops during sleep. When a person has sleep apnoea, he will be sleepy during the day or may not be able to restore sleep at night. After every sleep apnoea episode, a person may snore, gasp, mumble and grind teeth. In fact sleep apnoea has the highest risk for bruxism than any other sleep disorders. Other sleep disorders that can also affect sleep bruxism are sleep talking, hypnagogic hallucinations, violent behaviours during sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorders.

Cure for Bruxism

What is the cure for bruxism? The habit of teeth grinding can be prevented or treated. You should be concerned about how to reduce the stress and how to care for the teeth to avoid damage.

• Less stress means being able to manage your daily stressors such as learning some relaxation techniques to calm your nerves such as yoga and meditation classes
• Biofeedback is a good way to control your body’s proper response to the changes or stress affecting your body.
• Splints or mouth guard are advised to be worn to prevent teeth damage from the force of teeth grinding; this method is sometimes disturbing during sleep.

If you suspect yourself or your child is suffering from bruxism, immediately consult your dentist.