Bruxism Grinding Your Sleep To A Halt

Bruxism Is A Pain In The Jaw

There are a wide variety of sleep disorders that plague the general population. One such sleep disorder is bruxism. This affects individuals of various ages and can have a number of detrimental effects on the individual who has such a medical condition.


What Is This Problem?

This condition is the clenching or grinding of teeth while one is asleep. Somewhere between 5%-10% of the population is plagued with this condition, which is quite a large number when all is considered. The individual who clenches and grinds their teeth most likely do not even know that they do so unless sleeping partners inform them of the fact and/or they are met with a number of detrimental results due to the grinding and clenching of teeth while one is asleep.


What Are The Symptoms?

There are a few main symptoms associated with this medical condition. These symptoms include clenching the teeth and grinding teeth. The severity of these symptoms varies on a case-by-case basis.

Other symptoms may include:

· Tense jaw and facial muscles
· Worn or abraded teeth
· Indentations of the tongue
· Some damage to the cheek area in the mouth
· Headaches and or jaw ache
· Sensitive or even over sensitive teeth



Causes of The Problem

Some have alluded to different potential causes of this condition but the main cause that is often cited is stress. Stress is something that not only affects individuals during their daytime routines but while they are sleeping as well. When individuals are stressed, they may tend to clench and grind their teeth to try to somehow alleviate or deal with the stress.


What Are The Effects?

Those who are plagued with this unfortunate problem may find themselves being susceptible to related medical conditions. One particular symptom those who suffer from this problem may develop is temporomandibular joint disease, or TMJ. Those who are diagnosed with TMJ will find that there is a misalignment of the jaw. Along with TMJ, those who have this disorder suffer from headaches, jaw soreness and earaches. The pain may even travel straight down to the neck and shoulders.

An additional effect of having this medical condition is sleepiness during the daytime. Since it can cause an individual to not sleep as well at night, they may become tired during the daytime as a result. One may also have resultant stress due to the condition and its other effects. Those who have a serious grinding condition may also find that they have dental problems that can become serious if the condition persists.


Possible Treatments For Bruxism

The best way to treat this problem is to eliminate stress from one’s life as much as possible. Another way that the condition is treated is through dental intervention. One’s dentist can prescribe a night time mouthpiece to prevent the grinding and clenching from taking place.


Conclusion

Although This condition can have serious effects on an individual suffering from this sleep disorder, it is good to know that there are ways to resolve this problem. If one does everything possible to relieve stress and consult with a dentist, they may find their bruxism is eliminated or lessened a great deal.

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