Tooth grinding, also known as “bruxism”, can be very unpleasant and sometimes even painful. There can be many causes of tooth grinding, but thankfully there are also many solutions to help ease and eradicate tooth grinding. Here at The Courtyard Clinic, we understand how much grinding your teeth can have an impact on your life. Some people suffer from mild pain, whilst others get effects that are very debilitating. Symptoms can include headaches, facial pain, tooth wear, earache, and more.
Causes
So what can cause tooth grinding? Tooth grinding can sometimes be a side effect of the medication you are taking—antidepressants like SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, etc.) can often cause tooth grinding. You’re also more likely to grind your teeth if you suffer from sleeping disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) ; take a look at our anti-snoring devices that can help with OSA.
Daytime teeth grinding is often caused by anxiety, stress, concentration, and tension. Tooth grinding can also be caused by the use of tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs.
Solutions
Tooth grinding can be very damaging to your oral health and can result in tooth fractures—this is why it’s very important to tackle early signs of tooth grinding and stay on top of any issues.
What Can We Do To Help? For some less severe cases, we can advise exercises to help with your jaw pain; this can help ease tooth grinding. We also often make custom bite guards to protect your teeth and alleviate the jaw pain caused by tooth grinding. There are different types of bite guards depending on your condition, and our experts are on hand to advise the best solution for you.
For more severe cases, toxin injections into jaw muscles are used to weaken them, relieving pain for 3-6 months. In the most severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to solve your tooth grinding problems; on these occasions, we will analyse your case and advise if a hospital referral is needed.
If you grind your teeth during the day or overnight, be sure to get in touch with us at The Courtyard Clinic to ease your pain and protect your teeth!
