Specialist Advice — 9 minutes
What is bruxism?
Bruxism, commonly referred to as “teeth grinding,” is an abnormal movement that disrupts the process of falling asleep and sleeping. It involves clenching the lower and upper teeth and moving them back and forth, causing pain in the jaws and gums, wearing down of the teeth, headaches and even damage to the temporomandibular joint. Although it can occur during the day, this involuntary grinding happens especially during sleep.
Bruxism is more common in young children, but it is thought to decrease with age. About 15% of children, 8% of adults and 3% of seniors are believed to grind their teeth a few times per week.[1]
Bruxism occurs when the chewing muscles are activated by micro-arousals during sleep (brief awakenings of three to 15 seconds). The cause of micro-arousals can be varied, such as sleep apnea. Movements of the jaw have the function of attempting to restore airflow in the respiratory tract. There is also a family predisposition to bruxism, as 20 to 50% of subjects who know they grind their teeth have a parent who also grinds their teeth. Lack of sleep, anxiety, smoking, caffeine, chewing gum, as well as certain antidepressants and antipsychotics or recreational drugs, may increase the risk.
Usually, it is the dentist who does the first examination, looking for the following signs:
- Abnormal wear of the teeth
- Pain or fatigue in the jaw muscles in the morning
- Enlarged jaw muscles
After that, the dentist may use intraoral devices to measure tooth wear or the intensity and duration of tooth contact. Also, electromyography (EMG) devices can record bruxism-related activity by capturing electrical signals from the masseter and temporal muscles, which are used for chewing.
If the person has symptoms of a sleep disorder in addition to bruxism, such as severe snoring, breathing problems or excessive daytime drowsiness, they should see a sleep specialist, who will recommend a polysomnography to establish a more precise diagnosis.
