Teeth grinding (bruxism) is an unconscious process that occurs mainly at night during sleep. Often, psychological stress is the cause of teeth clenching. The first symptoms can be tense chewing muscles, toothache and abraded chewing surfaces or cracks in the tooth enamel. To prevent (further) damage to the teeth, a bite splint should be worn in case of frequent teeth grinding. To loosen the tense chewing muscles, relaxation exercises, massages and heat treatments are also recommended.
Causes of teeth grinding
Actually, we only need our teeth for about an hour every day: namely, when we eat something. But many people bite their teeth much more frequently. Especially during sleep, teeth grinding or clenching is widespread. Women are affected significantly more often than men. The cause of nocturnal teeth grinding is usually psychological stress that is processed during the night: The inner tension is transferred to the muscles and they become active. By clenching the teeth, the body unconsciously tries to release anger and frustration. In addition to stress, disorders in the chewing area can also be a cause. These include, for example, fillings that are too high or ill-fitting dentures. Likewise, a functional disorder of the temporomandibular joint can trigger teeth grinding.
Tongue pressure (tongue clenching).
In addition to teeth grinding, stress can also manifest itself through tongue pressing (tongue clenching). In this case, the tongue is extremely pressed against the teeth in the upper jaw or the lateral teeth in the lower jaw. However, sufferers particularly often press their tongue against the lower front teeth. This can change the position of the teeth and cause teeth to become loose.
Teeth grinding during sleep
Teeth grinding is widespread, with nearly 90 percent of Germans having grinded their teeth at some point. Since grinding occurs primarily at night, only about 10 to 20 percent of those affected even know that they grind their teeth. The others are only made aware of the problem by their partner or their dentist. The constant chewing quickly leaves its mark on the teeth, because our chewing muscles are real powerhouses. Initial symptoms that indicate teeth grinding include:
- Tense chewing muscles
- Obliquely abraded chewing surfaces
- Cracks in the enamel
- Bleeding gums
- A recession of the gums
- Tooth marks on the edge of the tongue
In the worst case, tooth loosening or even tooth loss can occur. In the long term, inflammation and irreparable damage to the jaw joint can also occur. Due to the strong activity of the masticatory muscles, tensions in the back and neck, headaches and vision problems are also among the possible consequences.
Teeth grinding in babies and children
Teeth grinding can occur at any age, even babies can already be affected. With them, however, grinding their teeth is often normal, because they are just getting to know their teeth. As a rule, however, the grinding should disappear as soon as all the milk teeth are there. If teeth grinding occurs in children or infants, stress can be a possible cause, just as it is in adults. Often, however, the reason for the grinding is not obvious. If children grind their teeth during the day, you should point this out to them, as the grinding is usually unconscious. If teeth grinding persists or if the teeth hurt, you should consult a dentist.
What to do about teeth grinding?
Teeth grinding often goes unnoticed for a long period of time because it occurs unconsciously during sleep. Only when toothache or tension in the chewing muscles becomes noticeable is a dentist consulted. Although the complaints often disappear by themselves with time, a visit to the dentist is always sensible. If you wait too long, you may risk permanent damage to your teeth. Therefore, it is better to go to the dentist in good time. He or she will first carefully check your teeth and correct any fillings or crowns that are too high or any ill-fitting dentures. This may already alleviate the discomfort. Otherwise, wearing a bite splint helps against teeth grinding. The plastic splint, which is worn mainly at night, prevents the teeth from rubbing against each other and ensures an even load on the muscles. This can prevent further damage to the teeth.However, the tense jaw muscles are not loosened by wearing the splint. A bite splint is made especially for you by your dentist. The cost of the splint is usually covered by your health insurance.
Relaxation exercises help against grinding
To reduce the stress on the jaw muscles, it is important for patients to observe themselves repeatedly throughout the day. If they notice that the jaw muscles are tense, they should consciously relax them. By repeatedly relaxing the muscles at will, it is possible to gradually break the habit of grinding. In order to achieve a permanent state of relaxation, physiotherapeutic exercises can also help. They ensure that the chewing muscles, as well as the muscles in the neck, shoulders, forehead and temples, relax again. Relaxation techniques such as yoga or autogenic training, massages and heat treatments are also recommended. If teeth grinding cannot be alleviated by these measures, a visit to a psychotherapist may be advisable.
