Teeth grinding in your sleep means that the occlusal surface of your upper and lower teeth grind by their own. The strength of this unconscious biting is very strong and frightening.

Do you have the habit of teeth grinding at night, but you are totally unaware of it? Why do people grind their teeth while sleeping? What are the reasons behind it? Will your teeth be damaged if you have teeth grinding in the long run? Is there a way to cure it?

Join me to know the facts behind the problem of teeth grinding today!

Do you know? The interaction of our upper and lower teeth is approximately less than 20 minutes a day, and it is definitely lesser than we could imagine!

But it will be a different story if you have the habit of grinding your teeth while sleeping.

Though there are no concrete reasons given medically for grinding one’s teeth, a study, nevertheless, discovers that there are psychological factors in relation to teeth grinding in sleep. People who spend a great deal of attention and energy during their day work, or individuals who constantly experience stress, anxiety, irritation, or anger, are most commonly found to grind their teeth in their sleep!

Furthermore, those who have irregular lifestyle habits, or those introverts, or those who exercise strenuously before sleep, or those who overwork, or those who suffer from endocrine disorder due to gastrointestinal diseases, or those who have the habit of biting things with their mouths, they are prone to have the problem of teeth grinding! 

This is because there is an abnormal excitement in the movement of certain portion of brain cells of the jaw bones found in the cerebral cortex of the central nervous system, and it causes the functional disorder of the trigeminal nerve.

When an intense, continual and abnormal contraction happens in the masseter which is controlled by the trigeminal nerve, it will lead to chewing movement of the teeth.

Those who grind their teeth in their sleep often awake to discover muscle pains on their face. If the situation lasts for a long time, it will cause some consequences, such as weakness of the teeth to chew, and the straining of the temporomandibular joint etc.

If there is no treatment or any preventive actions taken, your teeth will be flattened and shortened due to over- clenching in the long run. When the toughest layer of the teeth is worn out, the softer portion of the dentine and pulp cavity will be exposed and it will cause the teeth to be sensitive to stimulating food that is cold, hot, sour or sweet, etc. It will cause decay, gum bleeding, infection, loosing of teeth or even eventual tooth loss.

You must deal with it psychologically to improve the problem of teeth grinding. Relax before going to bed. For example, by taking a hot bath, or listening to music, or massaging your face with a hot pack to make your facial muscles relaxed, and avoid watching TV series that are overstimulating, as well as adjusting your mindset and reducing your stress at the same time.

In addition to this, you can minimize consumption of food and beverages that contain alcohol and caffeine, like coffee, Coke, chocolate, or strong tea. It helps to reduce stimulation!

If the problem of teeth grinding remains unresolved, the suggestion from dentists is for you to put on braces or mouth guard to separate your upper and lower teeth, so that you won’t grind your teeth even when you clench. By doing so, it helps to protect your teeth from damage and it also protects the muscle of your condyle. Of course, the best outcome is that you won’t disturb your spouse with your teeth grinding sound!

Though you can’t control yourself from not grinding your teeth during sleep, you can pay attention if you have the habit of clenching your teeth during daytime. If you notice that you are clenching your teeth even when you are watching TV or at your free and easy hours, then you have to remind yourself to relax…relax..

Finally, we wish all who have the problem of teeth grinding to break free from it!