21 Churton Street,
London, SW1V2LY
Most people often clench and grind their teeth. Occasional teeth grinding, medically known as bruxism, isn’t harmful, but when you grind your teeth regularly, it can cause damage to the teeth and several oral health issues.
While grinding your teeth can result from anxiety and stress, it usually occurs when sleeping and is caused by crooked or missing teeth or an abnormal bite. Grinding the teeth may also be due to a sleep disorder like sleep apnoea.
Teeth grinding usually occurs while sleeping, so most people do not know they grind their teeth. If you constantly experience a sore jaw or dull headache when you wake up, these signs may indicate you grind your teeth.
Many people discover they grind their teeth from a loved one who hears their teeth grinding sounds at night. If you think you grind your teeth, see your dentist for a mouth and jaw exam to check for signs of grinding, like excessive wear on the teeth and jaw tenderness.
Sometimes, chronic teeth grinding can cause teeth fractures, loosening or loss. It may also wear down your teeth to stumps. You may need root canals, crowns, bridges, implants, and partial or complete dentures in these cases.
Besides damaging your teeth, severe teeth grinding can cause tooth loss, affect your jaws, cause or worsen TMD or TMJ and alter your facial appearance.
Your dentist may recommend wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. If your teeth grinding results from stress, consult your dentist or doctor about options to reduce your stress.
An exercise programme, stress counselling, getting a prescription for muscle relaxants or visiting a physical therapist can help stop your teeth grinding from occurring from stress.
Treating the issue can reduce or stop your grinding habit if you have a sleeping disorder that causes the grinding. Other tips that can help stop your teeth grinding include:
Teeth grinding also affects children. About 15 – 33% of children grind their teeth at two peaks – when their baby teeth are coming in and when their permanent teeth erupt. Many children stop grinding their teeth after the two sets of teeth are complete.
Teeth grinding in children is more common during sleep than during the day. No reason explains why children grind their teeth, but possible causes are improperly aligned teeth, illnesses, medical conditions such as allergies, nutritional deficiencies, pinworm and endocrine disorders, irregular contact between the lower and upper teeth, and psychological factors such as stress and anxiety.
Grinding baby teeth may not cause problems, but teeth grinding generally causes headaches, jaw pain, TMD and wear on the teeth. Ensure you consult your dentist if your child’s teeth appear worn down or the child complains of tooth pain or sensitivity.
Preschool-age children may not need intervention for teeth grinding, but older children may require temporary crowns or other methods like wearing a mouth guard to prevent teeth grinding.
If you or your child experiences teeth grinding, our experienced dentist at McKennell Dental Practice can examine your teeth and recommend the right intervention. Visit us at 21 Churton Street London SW1V 2LY or contact 020 7834 8802 for your appointment.
020 7834 8802