Re: Diagnosing bruxism

[Anonymous]

simple words, bruxism means clenching or grinding of teeth. This condition can happen to anyone irrespective of age and gender. Some people clench their teeth when they are worried or angry but this is not termed as bruxism. Many people clench their teeth while sleeping and they don’t even know that they were doing so. This is common in kids while adults can clench their teeth in daytime as well as nighttime.

If bruxism is not treated then in future life it can lead to jaw discords, damage to teeth and heavy headaches. People get warned about their condition only after some complication arises and many times they just neglect it. One important question that arises here is how one can find out whether they have this condition. As the grinding of teeth happens in night, it is quite a task to know the answer for this one.

Chipped teeth, worn tooth enamel, highly sensitive teeth, pain in jaw, earache, facial pain and cheek pain are some of the common symptoms of bruxism. Though constant headache, sore jaws are two important symptoms that indicate that the person is suffering from bruxism. Or may be your partner in bed can bring it to your notice, if they hear you grinding your teeth. Once you get doubtful about your clenching of teeth in night, you will need to take help from your dentist. The dentist will examine your mouth and jaw and will decide whether or not you suffer from bruxism.

Chronic cases of bruxism can make the teeth loose and also result in fracturing of teeth. This can lead to dental procedures to place the bridges, crowns, implants, root canals and even partial and complete dentures. The severe cases of bruxism can also cause hearing loss and also make the face look disproportionate.

How can Bruxism be stopped?

The dentist will fit a mouth guard in your mouth, which will protect your teeth in the night. Often, this condition is caused due to stress. The best cure for this will be reducing the stress levels by taking counseling or by seeing a physical therapist. There are several other things that you can do to stop your teeth from grinding.

1. Avoid chocolates, coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine like colas. Also avoid alcohol, as alcohol will make the case worse.
2. Kids generally have a very bad habit of chewing their pen or pencil. This also leads to clenching of teeth. For the same reason you should not have chewing gums more than often.
3. During the daytime you can restrict the urge to clench your teeth. For doing so whenever you get the urge just hole your tongue between your teeth. This is one of the very good exercises for jaws, as it helps the jaws to relax.
4. To relax your jaws, hold one warm cloth on your cheeks and ears.
5. It is better to see your dentist even if you have just hint about your clenching of teeth.
6. Follow the advice given by the dentist and don’t just overlook your condition, as it can lead to serious troubles in future.