By Chris T.
Bruxism is the medical term for the grinding of teeth or the clenching of jaws, this commonly occurs to people while they are under stress or during sleep. It is well known that around 30 to 40 million Americans suffer from bruxism during sleep, but as well as about 50% of children are likely to suffer from bruxism. This disorder is very serious since it wears down teeth enough that their enamel is rubbed off, exposing the inside of the tooth (dentin) which will make your teeth more sensitive. It is very common for children to suffer from bruxism, but it is known for them to be over it when they hit adolescence, but can also get over bruxism as early as the age of 10 years.
Common symptoms of bruxism are:
Grinding sounds at night which disturbs the sleep of nearby people - may also wake up "bruxer"
Waking up to Headaches
Jaw muscles feel tight and/or painful - especially when waking up
facial pain
Teeth are damaged
Some of the Causes include:
Emotional Stress
Allergies
Injuries to the Jaw, head or neck
Anti-Depressants such as Prozac, paxil, celexa, etc.
Drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy has been reported to cause teeth grinding
Damage
The damage bruxism causes is very severe and has some long term effects. The two most common damage bruxism does is the jaw feeling sore and wearing down teeth, wearing down of the teeth will cause some long term damage if teeth has been worn down too much. The damage teeth grinding causes is likely to damage teeth and molars, which is likely to affect the neuro-muscular system (i.e. Headaches). If the damage caused is very severe and pain feels very harsh, the jaw would then may require surgery.
Treatment
Treatment for bruxism varies depending on what caused it. Treatment for children is not necessary since they will loose their baby teeth, but treatment is recommended if the child is complaining about the pain it is causing, but teeth grinding does not affect children as much as it affects adults. If bruxism was caused by stress, your dentist would recommend some professional counseling, psychotherapy, etc. to help you relax. If bruxism was caused by Anti-Depressants, you physician would prescribe you with different Anti-Depressants.
Are you A sufferer of Bruxism? Visit http://squidoo.com/stop-grinding-teeth for information on teeth grinding and remedies.
This is very helpful information.Toothcare is a very detrimental issue in health maintenance.
ReplyDeleteHi Samuel,
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful to know the causes of Bruxism. My little sister had a symptom with her teeth problem. Every night, we hear grinding sounds from her teeth, and then one morning, she complained that she has a headache, and her teeth was aching. Then, my mom and my sister went to a dentist that also does dental implants. Lexington has many professional and good dentists that's why they went there. Then, my sister's dentist said that some of her teeth were damaged due to cavities and her dentist added that one of the causes of tooth decay is too much eating of sweets such as candies, sodas, chocolates, etc,. In order to stop the cavities from my sister's teeth, she was undergone to dental surgery (she lost some teeth then).
I thought that grinding of teeth only happens to children. But when I read this blog, I've learned that even adults can also have Bruxism, and the very important information that I got on this blog is, illegal drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy can cause grinding of teeth. Thank you for sharing this informative article. I've learned a lot of things about Bruxism.
Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteVery Good Information. Toothcare very important role in our life. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDelete