The Daily Grind

Unfortunately I’m not going to talk about our daily work grind. Instead, today’s post is about bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding. Actually, all of us grind/clench our teeth from time to time –usually when we’re extremely angry or perhaps when we’re nervous and that’s okay. It’s not okay when we grind our teeth on a regular basis. About 20% of the population grinds/clenches their teeth when awake and about 8% during sleep. (Clenching occurs more during the day and grinding at night.)

It should come as no surprise that bruxism is extremely bad for your teeth, gums, and jaw. Bruxism isn’t just caused by a bad bite, known as malocclusion. Many of us grind our teeth because of stress and anxiety, often without us even realizing we’re doing it. It’s normal for tooth enamel to eventually wear away over the years, but grinding speeds up this process. Other problems from both grinding and clenching include worn down front teeth, cracks and broken fillings, exposed dentin, gum recession, loose teeth, and aching jaws and headaches (TMJ).

Common treatment for bruxism is to wear a custom fitted bite plate. The bite guard acts as a bumper between your teeth. It can be worn day or night, but is frequently worn at night. Over-the-counter bite guards are not recommended dentist supplies because they can be easily chewed away during the night. A custom guard is made to fit the shape of your teeth and is very durable. Although more expensive, these dentist supplies work much better.