Teeth grinding or the medical term bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your unconsciously teeth either awake or asleep.

 

Awake bruxism or sleep bruxism is a common condition among people, men and women, and they are not aware of it. Most of the times bruxism is detected during a dental checkup when a dentist recognize the damage on the teeth.

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What causes teeth grinding is not completely understood. But, scientific theories link teeth grinding to a combination of physical, genetic and psychological issues. Teeth grinding may be due to breathing airway issues such as sleep apnea (breathing stops and starts during sleep), jaw position, tooth position, an abnormal bite, trauma or anxiety, stress etc.

 

The symptoms of tooth grinding. People who are grinding or clenching their teeth usually have:

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• Tooth pain

• Tooth  sensitivity

• Jaw soreness

• Headaches

• Worn teeth

• Fractured or chipped or loose teeth.

 

The treatment depends on what causes the problem of teeth grinding. What may be helpful to avoid further teeth damage is wearing a mouthguard during sleep or correcting an abnormal bite