Bruxism (teeth Grinding): Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

If when you wake up in the morning you feel a headache and inexplicable discomfort in your jaw,
you may have developed an unconscious habit called bruxism and that manifests itself especially while sleeping.

What is bruxism?

Bruxism is a basically involuntary and automatic tendency that consists of grinding the teeth by tensing the jaw without this serving a clear purpose. It can appear in a waking state, as a habit that appears without being noticed (as in the case of trichotillomania) or during sleep, a time when it is more difficult to control.

The teeth grinding that characterizes bruxism
It consists of constant scrubbing of the molars and premolars, tensing the jaw and causing them to rub against each other. repeatedly performing a movement from front to back or vice versa, or diagonally. In some cases the teeth located in the front area are also involved.

Regarding the types of bruxism, no unified classification system has been developed and in any case it is customary to describe it according to its intensity, the moment in which it manifests itself (during wakefulness, during sleep or in both states), its duration, etc. That is to say, beyond the description of the different symptoms through which this teeth grinding manifests itself, there is no way to distinguish between variants of bruxism.

Symptoms of bruxism

Bruxism usually presents symptoms both psychologically and in the state of the tissues of the jaw and teeth. This means that they affect people’s quality of life in many aspects and that their effects are not simply limited to the moments in which teeth grinding is present.

The main symptoms of bruxism are the following:

In addition, bruxism can cause side effects such as the appearance of problems in the jaw joints, pain in the ears or psychological problems derived from lack of sleep and, if necessary, problems eating.

Of course, The diagnosis of bruxism can only be made by a professional competent in the matter. which is why it is necessary to undergo a medical check-up to determine whether or not this habit occurs. Furthermore, as it is an act that appears involuntarily or during sleep, it is possible that it is another person who is more aware of the presence of the symptoms and who indicates the need to go to a specialist.

Psychological and neurological causes of bruxism

The causes of bruxism are largely unknown, because its appearance often occurs seems to be triggered by neurological causes (and therefore difficult to understand in themselves) or psychological (in which case the triggering factors may be in the person’s interaction with elements of their environment).

That is why, beyond some cases in which the appearance of bruxism is favored by the formation of the jaw and teeth, teeth grinding has also been associated with continued episodes of stress, which in turn can worsen. due to lack of sleep and the rest of the symptoms of bruxism.

Regarding the neurological houses of bruxism,
These would be linked to a normal release and uptake of neurotransmitters in some parts of the brain. not necessarily due to structural malformations.

Bruxism treatment

The most used resource to protect against the effects of bruxism is the use of splints made with a mold that adapt to the teeth and protect them from dental wear.
However, this solution only serves to partially alleviate the symptoms, and by itself does not serve to cure bruxism.

An effective treatment for teeth grinding must be carried out after a proper medical examination, and in many cases must include measures to reduce stress levels, which is why psychotherapy specialized in parasomnias and anxiety disorders and training in relaxation techniques are recommended. The objective of these treatments carried out from a psychological approach will be to significantly reduce the intensity of bruxism.