Bruxism is the technical term for a habit of clenching and grinding the teeth together. In some patients this occurs during day-to-day activities, while others may only grind their teeth while sleeping. In severe cases, a person may grind his teeth so loudly in his sleep that he wakes up others in the room.
Stress is the most common cause of bruxism, and it can result in a number of issues throughout your body. You may develop mouth or jaw pain, earaches, headaches and even temperature sensitivity in your teeth.
Treatment of bruxism, from a holistic dental standpoint, should involve more than just curbing the grinding habit. While you can wear a mouth guard while you sleep to help you protect the surfaces of your teeth, you’ll still need to treat the underlying cause of your grinding habit.
The first step is to rule out misalignment or other problems with the shape of your teeth. After that, we’ll move on to addressing the stresses of your daily life. This includes your eating habits, the quantity and quality of your sleep and even your diet. Together we can find the cause and the solution to your bruxism.
