Teeth grinding, teeth clenching and how to avoid it | ToothCity

Teeth grinding, teeth clenching and how to avoid it

Teeth grinding, teeth clenching and how to avoid it | ToothCityGrinding or clenching your teeth is usually not dangerous. The medical term for it is called bruxism and is relatively common. Teeth grinding and teeth clenching mainly occurs when you are asleep, but can also occur unconsciously when you are awake.

What is teeth grinding?

Teeth grinding is when you rub your teeth together. It is common that you are not aware that you are grinding your teeth as it usually happens in your sleep. Regular grinding slowly wears down the teeth and can lead to damage and other oral health problems.

What is tooth clenching?

Just like teeth grinding, teeth clenching often occurs unconsciously during sleep. This means that you bite down hard, which can lead to overloading of muscles and jaw joints. Over time, the overload can result in damage to the teeth, mouth and jaw joints.

Causes and symptoms of teeth grinding and clenching

– Reasons:
One reason why you grind and clench your teeth can be that you have an unstable bite. The unstable bite may have been caused by orthodontics or lack of orthodontics as well as changes in the chewing surface of the teeth (fillings, crowns). Stress, sleep problems and side effects from medications can be other reasons for grinding or clenching your teeth.

– Symptom:
In many cases, it is difficult to notice that you are grinding or clenching your teeth yourself. It is often noticed by other people around them or by the dentist. The symptoms of teeth grinding and clenching differ. But there is usually more trouble with teeth clenching than grinding. Regardless of which of them, it is always a good idea to seek care and treatment as soon as you notice a symptom.

– Abnormally rapid wear of the teeth (short front teeth)
– Prickly or sharp edges on the teeth
- The jaws crackle when you open or close your mouth
- It is difficult to make a big gap
- The jaw muscles hurt and feel tired
- Pain in the jaw when chewing or gaping
- The teeth feel tender or hurt
– Cracks in the teeth that cause itching or pain
– Recurring problems with teeth “breaking”

Other more diffuse symptoms can be:
– Pain in the face or ears
- Headache
– Sleep disorders

Treatment
The first step to being able to treat the problems of teeth grinding and clenching is to discover it. Some are well aware of it themselves, while others only find out about it at the dentist. Failure to treat teeth grinding and clenching risks resulting in permanent damage to the teeth, gums and jawbone. There is also a risk of damaging joints and muscles, which can lead to headaches and joint pain, among other things.

Treatments and measures for teeth grinding and clenching consist of:
– Bite splint to stabilize the bite and protect the teeth.
– Adjustment of the bite to create a more stable bite
– Treatment of stress, sleep problems and anxiety
– Repairing teeth to rebuild and prevent the damage from getting worse
– Training program to break the habit of grinding or clenching your teeth

High-quality dental care at the TandCity clinic in Malmö

Do you need treatment for your teeth grinding in Malmö? TandCity offers dental care and treatments for teeth grinding and clenching at good prices, without compromising on quality.

“The text above is written for online marketing purposes. The views are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TandCity.”