Did you know... About 5% of Australian Adults are Regular, Forceful Tooth Grinders?

People may find themselves either grinding or clenching their teeth due to various reasons. This habit often comes and goes depending on work and life stressors. However, chronic tooth grinding (or bruxism) can be very harmful to the structure of the teeth. That’s because bruxism can lead to the loss of tooth structure and functionality. It can also affect the appearance of a smile and lead to tooth sensitivity.

Although daytime anxiety and stress are known causes of bruxism, this condition is often most harmful during sleep. It has also been shown to be caused by sleep apnoea.

Night time and day time tooth grinding solutions

If compulsive tooth grinding occurs during the day, then cognitive behaviour therapy solutions can be helpful. These include; stress counselling, exercise programs or seeing a physiotherapist. However, night time bruxism is a different matter. As a matter of fact, most people who grind their teeth in their sleep may be unaware of their tooth grinding. These people are usually alerted to their night time tooth grinding by loved ones or have the effects spotted by their dentist.

In addition, the presence of a sore jaw or a constant, dull headache can be signs of night time bruxism. If you suspect that you may be grinding your teeth at night, you should talk to your dentist as soon as you can. Since night time bruxism can be associated with sleep apnoea, a sleep study can be a good idea.

Treatment with splint therapy

Sometimes, an appliance called a splint is necessary to treat bruxism. A splint is a plastic guard that is worn while sleeping (or in some advanced cases, while awake) in order to provide protection to the teeth. A splint also repositions the jaw joint and can provide relief from pain and muscle soreness.

Usually a splint is only prescribed for chronic bruxism, so careful analysis and close monitoring is always required.

Children’s tooth grinding

Adults are not the only ones who can be prone to grinding their teeth. About 15 – 33% of children grind their teeth. This will usually occur when baby teeth are exfoliating, ant their permanent tooth replacements come through. Once their permanent teeth have arrived, the grinding will usually stop.

Although the grinding of baby teeth will not usually result in serious problems, it can lead to headaches, jaw pain and wear on the child’s teeth. If you notice that your child’s teeth appear to be worn or if your child complains of tooth pain, then you should consult your dentist.

In children, treating bruxism can be very difficult and is often not necessary. However we still recommend that children who grind their teeth are monitored very closely, as they are more likely to be prone to other dental problems.

If you think that you or a loved one might be grinding or clenching their teeth book a consultation with Dr Kate Amos or Dr Sam Rosehill at Ethical Dental on 6652 3185 or book online.

To learn more about dental splints check out our article What is a Dental Splint?