Clenching Teeth at Night: Disorder That Results In Some Unsightly Aftereffects
We often hear complaints from aggrieved partners about the cacophony, loud snoring can create. Some say that the noise of clenching teeth at night is even more. Be that as it may, the question still remains – isn’t teeth clenching normal?
Of course, we do. But teeth gnashing becomes a medical problem needing therapy, when the grinding is continuous and shows up through various unsightly manifestations like flattened teeth, damaged gums, chipped enamel and more. This condition may not be a life-threatening health condition but it can cause serious damage to teeth and gums which pave the way to other ailments.
What happens when people grind their teeth?
Teeth grinding is medically known as bruxism. It is a completely motiveless and involuntary activity involving two sets of teeth bring gnashed against each other with considerable amount of pressure which is at times 14 times higher than the pressure people use to chew. It can happen during the day or night, but is more common during sleep.
Men, women and children, all could get affected by teeth grinding, though with children, it is considered to be a transient phase subsiding with time and age.
One of the most damaging aspects of this disorder is that most of the activity happens during sleep, without the knowledge of the patient. The after-effects are noticed subsequently when substantial damage has already been done to the dentition and gums in terms of chipped or broken teeth, etc.
What causes teeth grinding?
The question of cause can have two answers: the first, according to doctors who believe that bruxism is caused by mental stress, unexpressed feelings of anger and anxiety, frustration, etc; on the other hand, dentists attribute the reasons for teeth clenching to misaligned teeth setting.
Then there are certain personality types who are more prone to bruxism – namely those who are hyperactive, rushed and competitive by nature. Teeth grinding could also be co-existing with other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, sleep paralysis, etc.
Bruxism symptoms: waking up after the event
There are hardly any signs prior to the onset of the disorder. You know you grind your teeth when you witness the aftermath:
– Noise is loud enough to wake up the person sharing the same bed.
– Damaged and flattened teeth, chipped at the edges
– Chipped teeth enamel
– Heightened tooth sensitivity
– Pain in the jaw and ears; headaches and facial ache
– Presence of chewed tissues in the mouth.
How to stop teeth grinding: find out why it happens
The best way to get out of this habit is to know what could be the possible triggers that are pushing you to grind your teeth. Since stress is the most common reason, involving 70% of sufferers, chances are high that timely and effective stress reduction can help you to stop such nighttime activity in future.
Of the several stress-reducing techniques, yoga, meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, relaxation has never ceased to yield results. Of course, there are other techniques as well for effective management of one’s emotions.
To stop clenching teeth at night is not an impossible task but then the crux lies in knowing why it happens and then managing the root problem.
Learn all there is about clenching teeth at night. Visit Marc MacDonald’s site where you can get important facts on how to stop teeth grinding.