Many people clench their teeth at night while asleep and they never know, until they begin to see the damage. Do you wake up from bed and you feel your jaws and teeth are painful or sore?
If that is the case, then you might be clenching or grinding the teeth at night. Bruxism is the name given to grinding of teeth. The rhythmic clenching can manifest at any age. It usually occurs unconsciously when asleep, but it may also happen when you’re awake.
What Cause Teeth Grinding When Sleeping?
Bruxism may be caused by many things, including heavy alcohol abuse, smoking, anxiety, stress, sleeping disorders, and depression. Research tends to say that bruxism affects mostly the people who snore or those who have obstructive sleep apnea. It’s also seen in people who drink alcohol and caffeine, and those who smoke.
How Do You Know You’re Grinding Teeth?
You may know that you are grinding teeth if you wake up and have headaches, jaw soreness or pain, or you have facial soreness, tooth pain, and earaches. All these are possible signs that you could be clenching while sleeping. Grinding not only causes damage to the teeth, but also irritates the muscles in your neck and head.
If you look in the mirror, do you see the back teeth flat? Do they seem to have pot holes? If you notice your back teeth appear flat and have some little pits, it could indicate that you’re grinding.
It is also likely that you grind teeth at night if you find that you are chewing on things at day time for example, pencils and gums. Another sign may be that you have chipped teeth fitting together the way you see the jigsaw puzzle.
It takes a lot of force to cause wear and damage to the enamel. If you are seeing the damage from grinding, then it means you need to prevent and stop it. If you have experienced these and other signs that suggest you may be grinding the teeth, we can help you.
We understand that grinding can cause serious damage to your oral health, but we also know that the causes can be difficult to deal with. We can help you get out of the grinding problem and remedy damage that may have been done.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at.
