Brux­ism Explained: Caus­es, Symp­toms, and Treat­ment Options

Bruxism can have a negative impact on your oral health as it can cause damage to your teeth and jaw. Your jaw is a very strong joint, capable of exerting around 125 kg of force in a single bite.

This can be sustained through the night, leaving your teeth vulnerable to damage and your jaw feeling sore and uncomfortable.

There are lots of reasons you might be grinding your teeth at night, including stress and problems with your breathing. There are also lots of potential treatment options to explore, both to stop the teeth grinding and also to protect your teeth from damage.

In this guide, we’ll explore the symptoms, causes and potential treatment options in greater detail.

Signs you have bruxism

Bruxism is often very hard to diagnose as you won’t be aware if you are grinding your teeth in the night. Your partner might notice the sound if they are awake, but it can often go undetected. Your dentist will often be the first one to identify the signs that you are grinding your teeth.

Your teeth might show signs of damage to the chewing surface, including enamel erosion and small chips or cracks. Alongside tooth damage, you might also notice that you have a sore jaw or that your teeth ache when you wake up in the morning.

If you suspect you might be grinding your teeth at night, it’s time to book a checkup with your dentist. This will be the first step to help prevent lasting damage to your teeth and your jaw.

Causes of bruxism

One of the most common reasons that patients will grind their teeth at night is stress and anxiety. If you are struggling to manage stress in your life, this can manifest as teeth grinding at night time. You might feel that you have lower quality sleep during this time, and that you wake up frequently during the night.

There are some personality types that are more likely to suffer from bruxism. This includes people who are more inclined to be anxious, depressed, competitive or aggressive.

If you know you have secondary sleep conditions like sleep apnea, snoring or sleep paralysis, you have an increased chance of developing bruxism.

Certain medications including anti-depressants can trigger bruxism, along with lifestyle choices such as recreational drug use. Other lifestyle factors that could trigger bruxism include smoking, alcohol and caffeine intake.

And finally, it could have something to do with your jaw alignment or oral health. Missing teeth could trigger bruxism, along with problems with your bite alignment.

As you can see, there are many potential factors that could cause bruxism, so it’s essential to get to the heart of the problem before moving forward with treatment.

How is bruxism treated?

Often the first step in treating bruxism is to protect your teeth from further damage. Wearing a custom mouth guard at night time will help to prevent your teeth from grinding against each other. It will also provide some cushioning to help absorb some of the pressure of your bite. While this isn’t necessarily a cure, it can help to put a stop to your pain and dental damage while you get to the heart of the problem.

If your bruxism is caused by lifestyle factors, you might need to think about making some changes. Quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption and reducing your caffeine intake after midday could help to reduce instances of bruxism.

If your bruxism is caused by a medication that you need, don’t stop taking it. Speak to your GP and this side effect and explore if there is another option you might be able to try.

Botox is another highly effective way to tackle bruxism. While it is more commonly known as a method for reducing wrinkles, it can also be used to relax the muscles in the jaw. This can offer some relief from the symptoms while you tackle the root cause of your bruxism.

Since stress is a common cause of bruxism, you might need to look at how you are currently managing stress in your life. Consider taking up regular exercise, exploring relaxing practices such as yoga, or try deep breathing and mindfulness practice to bring your stress under control.

Final thoughts on bruxism

Bruxism might come and go throughout your life, and you want to be confident you know what to do when this condition flares up. By paying close attention to pain in your jaw and taking prompt action, you can minimise the risk of damage to your teeth. Book an appointment with our dental team today to find out how we can help you.