WHAT DO YOUR TEETH FEEL LIKE IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH BRUXISM?
Bruxism is a condition in which you unconsciously grind or clench your teeth at night, but sometimes you could find yourself doing so while awake.
Do you ever notice you tense your jaw if you are stressed or under a lot of pressure at work, for example? Doing this can also mean you suffer from bruxism, a very common oral condition.
Because you can suffer from bruxism without knowing it, complications can develop, so it’s essential to understand its symptoms and keep your regular dental check-up appointments.
Symptoms of Bruxism
Some signs of bruxism can be spotted during one of your annual checkups.
| • | Jaw pain |
| • | Earaches |
| • | Biting the inside of your cheek |
| • | Tired jaw |
| • | Sleep disruptions |
| • | Chipped or cracked teeth |
| • | Tooth sensitivity |
Your teeth may have sharp edges, look flattened, chipped, cracked or get loose from the pressure that comes with clenching and grinding them. You can also have bony growths in your mouth, which are not cancerous.
Reasons for Bruxism
While bruxism is very common, there are still many things that we don’t know about it. We believe that stress could be one of the main reasons why people unconsciously clench and grind their teeth at night or while awake.
Age is also a factor because the condition seems to affect young children, but it tends to go away as they become adults. Also, an aggressive personality could contribute to the presence of bruxism and genetics are also believed to be the reason for this condition, as it tends to occur in families.
Additionally, other medical conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, sleep apnea, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) seem to be associated with bruxism.
Doctors don’t fully understand why some patients suffer from bruxism, but studies suggest that a combination of physiological, psychological, physical, and genetic factors are to blame.
