Overview

Rest bruxism is viewed as a rest related development issue. Individuals who hold or pound their teeth (brux) during rest are bound to have other rest issues, for example, wheezing and stopping in breathing (rest apnea).

Gentle bruxism may not require treatment. Be that as it may, in certain individuals, bruxism can be visited and sufficiently serious to prompt jaw issues, migraines, harmed teeth and different issues.

Since you may have to rest bruxism and be ignorant of it until difficulties create, it’s critical to know the signs and side effects of bruxism and to look for customary dental consideration.

What causes sleep bruxism?

While its exact cause is hard to determine, most experts and researchers believe that bruxism is a response to increased anxiety or psychological stress.

Stress and Anxiety –Stress and anxiety will not affect directly but it will affect the psychological condition and psychological stress results in teeth grinding subconsciously while asleep.

Misaligned teeth – A few specialists feel that Bruxism is an insignificant habit and is a consequence of crooked or misaligned teeth. Misaligned teeth also can be the reason for teeth clenching. Often it is a consequence of crooked teeth which is mispositioned and causing difficulty for normal functionality of the teeth.

Sleep disorder – Bruxism is also related with an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) a sleeping disorder. Breathing-related issues while sleeping and persistent interference with the sleep is the common symptom of this.

Medications – A few medicines used for treating depression and anxiety can lead to the condition. It may be the side effect of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs.

Lifestyle – Excessive consumption of alcohol or tobacco smoking will adversely affect your health. Recreational drugs, such as ecstasy and cocaine also increase your risk of bruxism.

What is bruxism a symptom of?

1. Abnormal tooth wear (resulting in short teeth) causing the outer layers of enamel to wear away, exposing dentin.
   This can result in tooth sensitivity.
2. Damaged teeth, broken dental fillings
3. Inflamed gums
4. Pain and stiffness in the jaw will make it uncomfortable or painful to open the mouth wide especially in the
   morning.
5. Rhythmic contractions of the jaw muscles.
6. A dull headache when you wake up in the morning
7. Unexplained pain in the face (facial myalgia)
8. Earache
9. Sleep disruption (both to you and your partner)

Diagnosis:

If you experience any of these symptoms, see your dentist. An early consultation with your dentist may save your tooth from other damage.

In medicine, bruxism is categorized into two forms
1. Primary Bruxism: That is caused by an underlying condition and is associated with your lifestyle.
2. Secondary bruxism: These symptoms are often associated with the medical condition.

Bruxism in Children

Bruxism in children is found when their permanent teeth start to erupt, and the habit generally stops after the adult teeth fully erupt.

How do you treat bruxism?

Some of the symptoms of teeth clenching, such as pain in the face area, dull headache, earache, will usually disappear when you stop grinding your teeth. However, tooth damage can remain permanent. Here are some self-care remedies to relieve pain:

1. Yoga, deep breathing, reading, listening to music, etc. are a few recommended techniques for stress management.
2. Apply ice or something warm to sore jaw muscles.
3. Avoid eating hard foods such as nuts, candies, etc.
4. Drink plenty of water daily.
5. Stretching exercises like opening and closing your mouth, help to restore the action of the jaw muscles back to
   normal.
6. Massaging the neck, shoulder and facial muscles.

Consult your Dentist if:

1. Your teeth are worn, damaged or sensitive.
2. You have pain in your jaw, face or ear.
3. Others complain that you make a grinding sound in your sleep.

The Dentist may recommend appropriate treatment which may include:

1. Mouth Guards and Splints: This will protect your teeth and prevent clenching and grinding during sleep, thus eliminating the destructive behavior and preventing further damage to the teeth. It will not stop teeth clenching process, but it can eliminate the destructive behavior which can occur from teeth biting. It is helpful to prevent your teeth.
2. Reconstructive Dental Treatment: Dental problems like misaligned, cracked, crooked or missing teeth are treated by providing overlays, crowns, etc. These treatments can reconstruct the damaged part of the tooth. Chewing surface will be changed and stop.

Consult your Dentist:

If you grind your teeth and you have other related problems, a dentist will identify the underlying problem and prescribe medication if and as required. He may prescribe a muscle relaxant at night before you go to bed to relieve your symptoms.