Sleep Bruxism, Everything you need to know

Teeth grinding, sometimes referred to as bruxism, is a common disorder that can not only affect your oral health, but have a devastating impact on your general health and compromise the quality of your life. This habit can be triggered by a number of things and, if left unaddressed, may leave you feeling groggy, fatigued, and engulfed by pains and aches.  

It is commonly characterised into two types: sleep bruxism and awake bruxism. Considered a sleep-related movement disorder, sleep-related bruxism usually occurs while you are slumbering away, catching some zzz's, and is frequently associated with other related problems such as obstructive sleep apnea and certain sleep disorders.

Bruxers may suffer from a variety of symptoms, such as migraines and jaw pain, and their teeth frequently exhibit signs of wear. Early detection, prompt management of symptoms, and treatment of sleep bruxism can help avoid long-term harm to your jaw muscles and precious choppers. This is why it is so important to understand the causes of this condition and how it can effectively be managed.  

According to a report by the King's College London, one in ten people grind their teeth, making up about six and a half million people. These large numbers show that sleep bruxism or teeth grinding at night is a fairly common condition affecting a huge population ratio. Continue reading to learn how this condition is triggered by various factors and how it can effectively be managed or halted to stop further damage to your oral health and general well-being.

Causes of Bruxism

Sleep bruxism is usually an involuntary response to psychological triggers like stress, fear, and anxiety but can also be caused by problems with how your upper and lower teeth come together when you close your mouth (bite). Other causes include hyperactivity, obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, acid reflux, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Certain medications used to treat depression can also cause bruxism.

Types of Bruxism

Some people may not always grind their teeth during their sleep. It can happen during the day as well and is called awake bruxism. Awake bruxism is the grinding or clenching of teeth during the day, often triggered by stress and anxiety, while primary bruxism is a type of bruxism that occurs without any underlying medical conditions. Unlike secondary bruxism which is linked to sleep disorders or medication side effects, primary bruxism is sleep bruxism or awake bruxism. Awake and sleep bruxism can happen to kids, young adults and oldies and needs to be treated based on the cause of the problem.

Signs and Symptoms of Teeth Grinding

Patients with sleep bruxism can experience:

• Abraded or worn down teeth
• Chipped, fractured, cracked or loose teeth
• Ear pain or face pain
• Teeth ache after waking up or extreme sensitivity
• Sore facial and jaw muscles
• Neck pain
• Headaches or face and temple stiffness
• Jaw dislocation or locking that makes it hard to open or close the mouth
• Tooth wear that exposes the dentin layer of the tooth
• Popping or clicking sound in the jaw joint (TMJ)
• Cheek damage
• Wear facets (flat smooth areas on the biting surfaces of the teeth)
• Sleep problems

Bruxism, the habitual grinding or clenching of teeth, can have many negative effects on oral health, affecting your teeth, jaw, and facial and neck muscles. Chronic bruxism wears down the tooth enamel, making your teeth super sensitive, cracks, and in severe cases, tooth loss. The pressure on the jaw can cause temporomandibular disorders, resulting in pain, stiffness, and difficulty in chewing or speaking. The constant tension and strain on the facial and neck muscles can lead to headaches, muscle fatigue, and discomfort, eventually affecting your quality of life.

These effects show the importance of recognizing and treating sleep bruxism early to prevent long-term damage and maintain overall oral health.

Diagnosing Sleep Bruxism

Diagnosing sleep bruxism can be tricky since teeth grinding and clenching usually happen unconsciously while you're fast asleep. This is why most people are often unaware of their condition until a partner hears the grinding sounds or a dentist sees the signs of wear on the teeth.

A diagnosis of sleep bruxism usually involves a thorough dental examination and a discussion with your dentist about the symptoms you are experiencing. Dentists look for tell-tale signs such as tooth wear, enamel erosion, jaw muscle tenderness, and broken or chipped teeth. Symptoms like jaw pain, headaches, or sore mouth upon waking are also some common presentations of this condition.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your dentist may recommend a sleep study (polysomnography), in which your sleep is monitored overnight in a sleep clinic. This test can measure teeth grinding and clenching, jaw movement, and other sleep-related disturbances. By accurately diagnosing sleep bruxism, your dentist can recommend treatment options to reduce the risk factors, prevent further damage, and relieve pain and discomfort.

The Effect of Teeth Grinding on the Quality of Life

Oral health has a significant impact on your general health and well-being. This means that oral issues can lead to systemic manifestations, consequently affecting all aspects of life, both physically and psychologically.

Studies show that people who suffer from bruxism experience more stress and anxiety than people who do not. This can be attributed to the fact that teeth grinding often occurs in conjunction with sleep disorders such as sleep talking, sleep paralysis, and other parasomnias. These conditions can keep you awake at night, causing daytime and anxiety and, therefore, creating a vicious cycle of poor sleep and teeth grinding, triggering or worsening anxiety and depression.

At Zental, we are dedicated to treating our patients in a holistic manner, keeping all aspects of their health in consideration when planning treatment. This helps improve not only their oral health but also bring a noticeable improvement in their general health and overall well-being. Continue reading to learn how we focus on creating individualised treatment plans to make you feel and look good from the inside out.

Treating Sleep Bruxism

Teeth grinding applies abnormal pressures and forces of movement to the teeth while sleeping by grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw muscles unintentionally. This can lead to symptoms that go beyond the oral territory and involve muscles of the neck and shoulders, fatigue, and headaches. For this reason, it is essential to tackle this issue holistically to ensure that you recover completely and try to break the habit to prevent it from happening again in the future. Read more about protecting and treating your teeth from teeth grinding as well as understanding treatments for clicking or clenching jaws.

A Holistic Approach to Treating Teeth-Grinding

Why Choose A Holistic Approach?

A holistic approach to managing sleep bruxism is often more effective than just relying on dental treatments because it addresses the root causes of the condition and not just the symptoms. Sleep bruxism is often related to stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and lifestyle factors that dental treatments like night guards cannot fully address.

By incorporating holistic methods such as stress management, behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques, we can better treat the root causes of teeth grinding and provide you with a more lasting relief than with conventional management alone.

A holistic approach to sleep bruxism also promotes overall well-being, reduces the risk of recurrence, and improves mental and physical health, while dental treatments only focus on preventing ongoing damage to the teeth and jaw.

Combining both approaches gives you a comprehensive long-term solution that improves not just dental health but also emotional and overall quality of life.

Stress Management:

Meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can help manage stress and anxiety, which are often common triggers for bruxism, and, in turn, reduce the incidence of teeth grinding.

Stress counseling is another great way to reduce stress and combat the effects of sleep bruxism. At Zental, we offer stress reduction therapy to our patients experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety, helping them feel better and managing their oral symptoms alongside this treatment modality.

Behavioural Therapy:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you become more aware of your sleep bruxism episodes and find ways to manage them. Certain medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (a class of antidepressant medication) can also be prescribed along with CBT to manage symptoms.

Sleep medicine can also be prescribed to those who have trouble sleeping as irregular sleep patterns can cause or worsen sleep bruxism. Improving sleep quality is vital to managing the effects of bruxism and helping you live a better, stress-free life.

Talk to your doctor if you are having getting a good night's sleep and allow them to work out a plan for you based on your needs.

Massage Therapy:

Massaging the jaw, neck, and facial muscles can help relieve built-up stress and tension and alleviate the excruciating muscle pain triggered by excessive teeth grinding.

Muscle Relaxants:

In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe you muscle relaxants to help relax the facial, neck, and shoulder muscles and allow you to sleep better. This can help reduce stress and, in turn, reduce teeth grinding at night.

Aromatherapy:

Sometimes, a simple addition of essential oil to your sleep routine may be all you need to relax your jaw muscles and stop grinding. However, it is worth mentioning that essential oils can only help with teeth grinding if the habit is stress-related.

Incorporating essential oils like lavender and chamomile into your nighttime routine can help you relax, improve your sleep quality, and break the habit of nighttime teeth grinding. You might be surprised to learn that specific plant extracts have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that can benefit you in many different ways. Many of them even have properties that naturally lower your heart rate and blood pressure, helping to calm you down and feel relaxed.

You can try diffusing these oils into the air, mixing them into your mouthwash, or applying them to your skin to reap their benefits. Regardless of how you choose to use them, they have all been shown to have calming effects, which can help ease stress and tension, and reduce the likelihood of sleep bruxism.

Herbal Remedies:

Repetitive jaw muscle activity is a distinctive feature of sleep bruxism and can leave your face and neck muscles feeling sore. Natural supplements like valerian root or magnesium can relax your muscles and, in turn, improve sleep quality.

Getting good-quality sleep can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Adopting a holistic approach to wellness includes

Lifestyle Changes:

If your teeth grinding is a result of excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption, reducing your daily intake can help combat the effects, and allow you to sleep better.

Dental Treatments for Bruxism

Several dental treatments are available to manage and treat probable sleep bruxism, focusing on preventing further tooth damage, reducing discomfort, alleviating pressure on the jaw, and helping break the jaw-clenching habit. At Zental, we customise each treatment based on the severity of your condition and your individual needs and preferences. They may include:

Mouthguards or Occlusal Splints:

Occlusal splints also known as nightguards are custom made dental appliances that work to manage the symptoms of sleep bruxism by acting as a barrier or cushion between the upper and lower teeth. By preventing direct contact between the teeth, these appliances reduce tooth wear, chipping and enamel erosion caused by grinding.

They also distribute the force of clenching more evenly across the jaw which alleviates muscle tension, jaw pain and headaches associated with sleep bruxism. By doing so an occlusal splint can help break the tooth grinding habit by reducing the frequency and intensity of the episodes.

When you come in for a mouth splint, we start by taking an impression of your upper and lower teeth to fabricate one for you that fits your mouth perfectly. It takes two appointments to be fitted with a mouth splint.  

Mandibular advancement:

Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) are oral appliances that can manage sleep bruxism by repositioning the lower jaw (mandible) slightly forward during sleep. This forward positioning reduces the likelihood of teeth grinding and clenching by relaxing the jaw muscles and creating a more stable alignment of the upper and lower teeth.

MADs also improve airflow which is beneficial for those who have bruxism with sleep apnea. By addressing muscle tension and airway obstruction, mandibular advancement devices can reduce the frequency and intensity of bruxism episodes, resulting in better sleep quality and, consequently, less damage to the teeth and jaw muscles (especially the masseter and temporalis muscles).

Minor Dental Corrections:

In cases where misaligned teeth or an abnormal bite cause bruxism, minor dental corrections, such as reshaping teeth or orthodontic treatments (e.g., braces), may be recommended to correct the bite and alleviate grinding.

We may try to change how your teeth fit together, for instance, grinding down certain teeth and building up others using composite resin, to relieve the symptoms of sleep bruxism.

If your teeth are malpositioned and are a cause for your teeth-grinding habit, we may recommend getting braces to correct their alignment. This approach is not for everybody, and we only recommend it to those who need it.

Muscle Relaxing Injections:

For severe bruxism, musle relaxing injections can relax overactive rhythmic jaw muscle activity which in turn lessens the frequency of tooth clenching and grinding. This is often used when other treatments have not been effective.

These treatments are often combined with lifestyle changes or stress management techniques to manage nocturnal bruxism and prevent future problems.

In a Nutshell

Sleep bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a common condition that is often overlooked, but it can have serious dental and overall health implications if not treated promptly. Early detection and intervention are key to preventing long-term damage to teeth and alleviating jaw pain and headaches. Monitoring the condition and treatment over time is important, so we recommend scheduling regular dental visits.

Finding the right cause of the problem can help simplify the treatment. At Zental, we believe in taking a holistic approach to health that takes your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being into account. From dental treatments like custom night guards to psychological approaches like stress management and relaxation techniques, there are many ways we can help you manage and reduce the effects of sleep bruxism.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sleep bruxism or other sleep-related disorders, we encourage you to book a consultation and visit us. Let us take care of you. We look forward to helping you in any way we can to live a healthier, happier and longer life..