Do you wake up with a tensed and painful jaw? Does your sleeping partner ever remark that you grind your teeth at night? Are your teeth sensitive to temperature and are aching? Have your noticed that your teeth become flat or worn out? Well, it’s what medical professionals refer to as bruxism, or teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

Bruxism is an annoying habit that has become a medical concern for many researchers. There are several teeth grinding causes that you should be aware of. These causes depend on what type of bruxism you may be suffering from.

Primary Bruxism

Bruxism that is not related to an existing medical condition is called primary bruxism. Stress and anger as well as problem with teeth alignment are the common teeth grinding causes of primary bruxism.

• Stress. Why a person grinds teeth at night can be due to emotional factors. Stress is one. Your workplace can be a source of stress like a pile of paper work that needed to get done. An argument with your boss or colleague can also create tension in the office. . A demanding customer or a deadline to beat can put you under pressure. The agitation during the day can manifest when you grind teeth during sleep.  Your sleep patterns can be disturbed if you unconsciously grind teeth at night (sleep bruxism). You can awaken suddenly from sleep and it will be difficult for you to go back to sleep.
• Frustration and anger. These can also be one of the teeth grinding causes. This is common with bruxism during the day (awake bruxism). When you are frustrated or angry at someone, instead of venting your disgust at the person, you might just suppress it. The emotion is so intense that it causes you to grind teeth. Psychologists say that this can be unhealthy and if you clench your teeth because of anger, it is advisable to see a psychologist about anger management.
• Aggressive behavior. On the other hand, anger can also be expressed aggressively. When you openly express your anger towards the subject of your wrath, you may unconsciously grind your teeth.
• Malocclusion. Teeth grinding at night is primarily attributed to misalignment of the upper and lower teeth. Dentists believe that discomfort of abnormal alignment of teeth or (malocclusion) makes a person involuntary grind and clench his teeth.
• Development of Teeth. For many small children who are just developing their milk teeth, the itchy and painful sensation in the gum area when teeth start to erupt can cause them to grind teeth. Sometimes teeth grinding is accompanied by drooling in kids below 2 years old. Permanent teeth development can also cause children to grind teeth when the upper and lower molars do not seem to fit comfortably. Bruxism is common in children before adolescence and they gradually outgrow it in time.

Secondary Bruxism

Teeth grinding can also be a result of an underlying medical condition or medications prescribed to treat depression. This is called secondary bruxism. Here are the common causes of secondary bruxism:

• Neuromuscular Disorder. Parkinson’s and Huntington diseases are two disorders that results to teeth grinding in sleep. Motor skills are affected when a person is diagnosed with a degenerative disorder like Parkinson’s disease. In the case of Huntington’s disease, it is a neurological disorder that affects the coordination of body movements.
• Antipsychotic Medicines. Psychiatric depression is another medical condition that causes bruxism. Patients with depression are prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), antipsychotic and antidepressants.  These medicines may cause bruxism.
• Sleeping Disorders. Bruxism is also linked to certain sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring.

Aside from the abovementioned, other teeth grinding causes include food or beverages rich in caffeine such as coffee and chocolate. Smoking and drinking alcohol can also trigger bruxism. Using some drugs like cocaine and ecstasy can cause teeth grinding.

The treatment of bruxism depends on its cause. If bruxism is stress-related, you will be advised by your dentist to see a counselor and he will let you undergo some relaxation and stress-management therapy. Your dentist will always recommend a mouth guard for grinding teeth, not as a treatment but as a protection from damaging your teeth.