Sleep Bruxism Can Be an Indicator of Underlying Health Problems

• Exhaustion
• Restlessness
• Jaw pain
• A dull, throbbing headache
• Face pain

Sounds a terrible way to start your day, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, this is what patients suffering from teeth grinding, or sleep bruxism, experience.

Teeth grinding is known as bruxism, and when patients suffering from it do it unconsciously at night, it is known as sleep bruxism.

 One survey suggests that at least 8% of adults grind their teeth at night. Sleep bruxism, if left untreated, can cause severe dental problems like tooth sensitivity, tooth damage, and in severe cases, sleep bruxism can even crack teeth. That said, sleep bruxism is an indicator of various health disorders, which may or may not be related to oral health. Let’s discuss a bit more about sleep bruxism and its few underlying causes.

 The Connection Between Sleep Bruxism and Sleep Apnea

One of the biggest causes of sleep bruxism is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax at night and interrupt breathing.

1 in 4 patients with sleep apnea experience some form of sleep bruxism. Research has found that teeth grinding helps patients suffering from sleep apnea breathe easier.

 However, it’s not clear how sleep bruxism and sleep apnea are linked, but it is believed that since sleep apnea causes a restriction in the upper airway, a stress response is triggered in the body that instigates teeth grinding and clenching, even when you’re fast asleep.

One of the ways to stop grinding teeth at night is by giving these patients a sleep apnea machine or a dental appliance to help them keep their airway open the whole night. This method has helped sleep apnea patients to stop grinding their teeth at night.

Sleep Bruxism Can Be an Indication of Emotional Distress

If you have recently started experiencing a lot of stress, and anxiety, and might not know how to channel it well, research shows that one of the ways it might materialize is through teeth grinding at night.

70% of the cases of bruxism are caused due to stress. Additionally, if you are on antidepressants of the category of SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) like paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline, you are more likely to experience bruxism.

 Poor Lifestyle Choices Can Cause Sleep Bruxism

There are things other than sleep apnea and stress that can cause teeth grinding at night, like:

• Increased consumption of caffeine, soda, and energy drinks can stimulate muscle activity while affecting the quality of sleep.
• Alcohol can also cause disturbance of sleep patterns.
• Tobacco can also cause sleep bruxism.

 How to Combat Sleep Bruxism?
If your sleep bruxism is so severe that it needs treatment, here are some available options:

a)     Dental Intervention

• Mouthguards will be custom-made by your dentist for dealing with sleep bruxism. Custom-made mouthguards will protect your teeth from damage, and reduce any strain that might come on your jaw.
• Your dentist might ask you to get reductive coronoplasty if misaligned teeth are the problem. Reductive coronoplasty will help you reshape or re-level your teeth.

b)     Alternative Interventions

1. Botox Therapy
   • Studies have found that botox can reduce the frequency of teeth grinding in patients.
2. Stress Management Therapy
   • Exercise to manage your stress levels better.
   • Take a warm bath before bed to relax your jaw muscles.
   • Try to cut down on the consumption of alcohol and caffeine, especially 3-4 hours before you go to sleep.
   • Stop gnawing on pens, pencils, or biting your nails, instead look for better ways to manage stress.
3. Biofeedback

• A biofeedback therapist will help you control your jaw muscle movements through visual or auditory feedback.

Even if you want to take an alternative treatment for teeth grinding, it is best to consult your dentist before undertaking any sort of treatment. It is always better to be safe, then sorry.