The daily grind
Experts say teeth grinding can happen consciously, could be potentially serious
Frank Pellegrino
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: Money/Health
Campbell thought this could be incredibly annoying for the person lying on the other side of the bed.
"It's probably a lot along the lines of sleeping with someone who heavily snores," Campbell said. "It would be frustrating."
Doctors don't completely understand what causes bruxism, according to the Mayo Clinic site. However, the most common factors thought to promote bruxing are psychological things such as anxiety, suppressed anger and a competitive personality type.
"A lot of people who tend to have more stress in their lives tend to do it more," Fleming said.
Often bruxism goes unnoticed, so the Mayo Clinic site suggests that if you see any warning signs, you seek a dentist soon. Specifically if you have worn teeth or pain in your jaw, face or ear, they recommend you see your doctor or dentist.
Fleming said the only way you can really tell is by talking to a professional.
"The biggest diagnosis will be by the dentist being able to see wear patterns on the teeth," Fleming said. "This is what for sure can tell us people are bruxing."
There is little that can be done to repair damage that has already happened, Fleming said. But there are a few things that can be done to help prevent future harm from happening, the first of which is fitting a 'splint,' or mouth guard, that the affected person can wear while sleeping.
"What that's going to do is prevent excessive wear from happening on the teeth," Fleming said. "It kind of acts like a shock-absorber to give that joint and those teeth a little bit of break from bruxing."
According to the Mayo Clinic site, that because stress is such a factor, stress management is also something that is used to help prevent the damage of bruxing. Many dentists believe that seeking professional counseling or practicing relaxation techniques can really help, according to the site.
In extreme cases, dentists sometimes have to do a full-mouth reconstruction, Fleming said. This is when a crown is placed on each tooth to get them back to where they originally were.
"That is pretty much last case scenario in treating things though," Fleming said. "Otherwise, the next best thing would be to slow the process from happening before things get out of hand."
"It's probably a lot along the lines of sleeping with someone who heavily snores," Campbell said. "It would be frustrating."
Doctors don't completely understand what causes bruxism, according to the Mayo Clinic site. However, the most common factors thought to promote bruxing are psychological things such as anxiety, suppressed anger and a competitive personality type.
"A lot of people who tend to have more stress in their lives tend to do it more," Fleming said.
Often bruxism goes unnoticed, so the Mayo Clinic site suggests that if you see any warning signs, you seek a dentist soon. Specifically if you have worn teeth or pain in your jaw, face or ear, they recommend you see your doctor or dentist.
Fleming said the only way you can really tell is by talking to a professional.
"The biggest diagnosis will be by the dentist being able to see wear patterns on the teeth," Fleming said. "This is what for sure can tell us people are bruxing."
There is little that can be done to repair damage that has already happened, Fleming said. But there are a few things that can be done to help prevent future harm from happening, the first of which is fitting a 'splint,' or mouth guard, that the affected person can wear while sleeping.
"What that's going to do is prevent excessive wear from happening on the teeth," Fleming said. "It kind of acts like a shock-absorber to give that joint and those teeth a little bit of break from bruxing."
According to the Mayo Clinic site, that because stress is such a factor, stress management is also something that is used to help prevent the damage of bruxing. Many dentists believe that seeking professional counseling or practicing relaxation techniques can really help, according to the site.
In extreme cases, dentists sometimes have to do a full-mouth reconstruction, Fleming said. This is when a crown is placed on each tooth to get them back to where they originally were.
"That is pretty much last case scenario in treating things though," Fleming said. "Otherwise, the next best thing would be to slow the process from happening before things get out of hand."
Be the first to comment on this story