Common Signs you Grind your Teeth

It’s easy to joke about stressful situations that make you want to tell people that “you’re ready to start grinding your teeth” but doing the painful act isn’t amusing at all—especially when you’re not even aware that it’s taking place.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 8 percent of adults grind their teeth at night, and more than a third of parents report that their children do so.

While occasional teeth grinding, also called bruxism, might not seem like much of a problem, grinding regularly can not only be a symptom of negative health conditions such as TMJ but can lead to health concerns.

Waking or sleeping bruxism is commonly thought of as primarily stress-related, but there can actually be a variety of other causes, from genetics to age to certain medications. Smoking or caffeine can contribute, as well as TMJ or certain sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

However, the ‘why’ is sometimes less critical than identifying the signs of grinding teeth, and how to treat it. The longer grinding takes place, the more likely it can cause damage and impact overall health.

Visit your dentist if you think you’re grinding your teeth at night. Your dentist will look at your mouth and jaw alignment to suggest various solutions.

If the well-meaning but not so applicable advice to “stress less” doesn’t work, your dentist will often recommend a mouth guard. This device is inserted at night and blocks your teeth from touching other teeth while you sleep and absorbs much of the force of your teeth pushing into your jaw or teeth. Mouth guards can also open airways to relieve sleep apnea.