RELAX DON'T GRIND

Grinding of your teeth or "bruxism" as we call it is an involuntary, parafunctional, excessive grinding, clenching or rubbing of the teeth. In other words it is an uncontrollable habit of excessive rubbing of the teeth. This usually occurs at night when you sleep. It can do serious damage to teeth by wearing them down and even damaging the nerves. It can cause inflammation and recession of the gums, increased risk of gum disease, muscle pain and T.M.J. (temporamandibular joint ) problems and pain. Bruxism is also associated with headaches , jaw aches, and shoulder stiffness. Researchers believe 10 percent and higher of the population grind their teeth. The cause of bruxism remains debatable. Many scientists feel that it is caused by bite irregularities, and others feel that it may be caused by psychological factors such as stress. It is almost impossible to stop someone from grinding their teeth at night. What is done is to make a night time appliance that looks like a retainer. The purpose of the retainer is to take the teeth out of occlusion (bite) if there are bite problems. The appliance also prevents further damage to the teeth by wearing down instead of the teeth. The appliance also helps reduce some of the head pain associated with grinding.
If you think you grind your teeth, see your dentist, or a dentist that treats bruxism and T.M.J. problems.