Joint & Headache Treatment

The reality is that all of us grind our teeth on occasion — when we are angry or anxious, or when our sleep is disturbed. But when we grind our teeth on a regular basis, we have a condition called bruxism (from the Greek “bryx,” meaning a “gnashing of the teeth”).

If bruxing persists, as it does in an estimated 8 percent of the population during waking hours and 20 percent during sleep, it can have a negative effect on tooth enamel, bone, gums and the jaw. In the past, grinding (sideways movements of the jaws, with the teeth just touching) and clenching (clamping the uppers and lowers together) were believed to be caused by malocclusion (a bad bite). However, the latest research sees lifestyle reflexes, our ways of dealing with anxiety and stress, as the primary cause, with sleep disturbances and malocclusion serving as secondary and tertiary causes.

Of the two reflexes, teeth grinding is more common during sleep and occurs equally among men and women. Sleep is the time when the brain goes into a semi-resting state but stays alert enough to notice potential alarms, like a dog barking or the blare of a siren. This “disturbance reflex” appears to be exaggerated among those who have airway resistance, causing breathing difficulties during sleep. In response to sleep disturbances, the brain makes a quick decision as to whether these noises are simply routine, permitting the body to stay asleep, or serious enough to serve as a wake-up call. At the moment of waking, bruxing takes place.

Grinding may also result as a medication side effect among those being treated for depression, developmental disorders and schizophrenia, and among those taking recreational drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine. Certain medications and drugs act on the brain, stimulating it. The resulting brain stimulation is believed to contribute to grinding.