Sore jaw or damaged teeth? You might be suffering from bruxism
If you’re feeling stressed, you might notice you’re snappier with people or having trouble getting enough sleep.
But, one area of the body that is greatly affected but seldom talked about when it comes to stress can be found in your mouth.
Teeth grinding - also known as bruxism - can occur in almost anyone and result in broken fillings and cracked teeth.
Before you get too worried about your oral health, you should know that everyone grinds their teeth at least a little bit.
“Everybody grinds their teeth a little bit at night, it’s normal and we do it subconsciously - usually during dream sleep,” Dr Tami Yap, a lecturer in oral medicine at Melbourne University, told The Age.
“If sleep is fragmented, you’re not getting solid sleep cycles, or you have a period of stress where you mood is impacted into the night-time, you will probably grind more.”
The problems arise when grinding causes the teeth to become worn down or break, or if it causes the muscles in your face to ache.
Additional symptoms can vary, from temperature sensitivity or a sore jaw to tension headaches or pieces of your teeth breaking off in your mouth.
Though there isn’t a simple way to “switch off” tooth grinding, Yap explained, there are some things you can do to manage it.
What makes us grind our teeth?
According to Dr Elizabeth Milford, a dentist and scientific relations consultant for Oral-B, tooth grinding can be triggered by increased anxiety, not getting enough exercise, and poor sleep habits.
Other habits can also exacerbate night-time tooth grinding, such as smoking, drinking large amounts of alcohol, and taking recreational drugs. But these habits are more influential on how much we grind our teeth during the day.
Daytime tooth grinding is often triggered by our mood, habits, and stress levels.
“When we are worried or highly stressed, we are physiologically perceiving a low-grade threat,” Yap explained. “And when this happens, stress hormones run around the body and the sympathetic system is engaged because the body is prioritising you to fight or flight.”
With this comes extra tension in your muscles, with people often holding their teeth together like you would clench your fist.
“And if you were clenching your fist, it would be very clear you shouldn’t be doing that. Similarly, if you’re touching your teeth together at times other than eating, you’re going to be loading your teeth more, and you’re going to get cracks, and possibly muscle pain.”
What can you do about it?
Minimising tooth grinding requires a holistic approach. Consciously choosing the position of your mouth and jaw and thinking about what our facial muscles are doing can help reduce it.
“Teeth should only be touching when you’re eating, maybe when you phonate certain words and sometimes when you swallow,” Dr Yap said. “That amounts to a few minutes a day, the rest of the time the teeth should actually be apart.”
Dr Yap recommends focusing on breathing, since this helps you become “more aware of how your mood and your stress is impacting changes on your body”.
Treatment can also include jaw exercises, relaxation techniques, and custom-made dental appliances that reduce pressure on teeth.
Dentists often recommend night guards, but becoming more aware of how we’re feeling and how our body is reacting will pay off in the long run.