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Teeth grinding during sleep (bruxism) is defined as when a person closes and opens their mouth lids tightly and grinds their teeth together while sleeping. This usually happens at night and occurs in a way that the person is unaware of. Teeth grinding during sleep can lead to tooth wear, gum problems, and even tooth extraction. In addition, this can disrupt the sleep quality of the person, leading to fatigue and sleep problems during the day.
Why Does It Happen?
Teeth grinding during sleep is a condition whose cause is unknown. However, some experts think that this condition may be related to psychological factors such as stress, anxiety or depression. Also, sleep grinding can occur as a side effect of certain medications.
Teeth grinding usually occurs due to one or a combination of the following causes:
Mouth structure: Some people may have irregularities in the tongue, oral tissues, or between the teeth. This can cause the teeth to rub against each other during teeth grinding.
Sinusitis: Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses, which reduces the passage of air in the mouth. This can cause the teeth to rub against each other during teeth grinding.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS): OSAS is a condition in which there is difficulty in breathing during sleep due to airway obstruction. OSAS can cause teeth to rub against each other during teeth grinding.
Stress: Stress can cause teeth to rub against each other during teeth grinding.
Smoking and alcohol use: Smoking and alcohol use can cause changes in the structure of the mouth, which can lead to teeth grinding.
Is it preventable?
If you have trouble grinding your teeth while sleeping, you can try the following steps to prevent it:
Reduce stress: Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety and depression can trigger teeth grinding during sleep. Therefore, trying techniques that may be helpful for reducing stress (such as yoga, meditation, or dialogue therapy) may work.
Use medications with caution: Some medications can trigger sleep grinding. Therefore, use the medication on the advice of your doctor, and if you have trouble grinding your teeth while sleeping, you may want to consult your doctor and consider changing your medications.
Protect your mouth at night: To reduce teeth grinding during sleep, you can use a protective oral prosthesis (for example, a teeth grinding plate) before going to bed at night. This type of prosthesis can reduce tooth wear and gum problems by preventing teeth from grinding together.
Consult your doctor or dentist: If sleep grinding is not resolved or your teeth are damaged, talk to your doctor or dentist to evaluate treatment options to prevent the condition.