Many people have heard of teeth grinding, even if they have never done it themselves. However, not everyone knows that the technical term for teeth grinding is bruxism. Bruxism is something that some people do on a regular basis and that others can do periodically throughout their lives. Then, there are other people who may only have one or two short periods of their lives where they grind their teeth. The reason for all of the differences in teeth grinding occurrences is because there are many different things that can bring it on. You can learn all about bruxism here so you can be armed with helpful information should you determine that you grind your teeth or if you have discovered someone close to you grinds their teeth.

What constitutes bruxism?

There is a difference between clenching one's teeth and grinding them. When a person clenches their teeth, they will merely bite down hard, causing a lot of stress to be put on their teeth, as well as their jaw. However, grinding one's teeth is done by biting down and then moving the jaw back and forth in a way that causes the teeth to grind against each other.

What does bruxism do to someone's teeth?

Bruxism is very hard on a person's teeth. Teeth are very hard, and while this is generally a good thing, it can also be a bad thing when it comes to teeth grinding. When a person is grinding their teeth, they will be putting a lot of pressure and movement on their teeth at the same time, which is very bad. Teeth can chip, break, and fracture when they are ground together like this. Also, when someone grinds their teeth regularly, their teeth can become extremely worn down.

What causes someone to grind their teeth?

For some people, grinding their teeth is a bad habit, just like biting one's nails or twirling their hair. Then, there are some people who tend to grind their teeth only when they are feeling stressed or when they are overtired. There are also some who otherwise never grind their teeth but who may end up doing it at some point in their life due to something bringing it on temporarily, such as a life-altering trauma or something else that is a huge change.

What can be done about bruxism?

Someone who finds out they are grinding their teeth should go to the dentist as soon as they determine they are doing it. They can have the dentist fit them for a mouth guard that they will wear while they sleep that will stop them from doing it. There may be other treatments that can also be helpful, such as Botox injections and even a prescription for muscle relaxers.