Changing this one habit can help treat bruxism – aka teeth grinding – overnight
Chances are you’ll have experienced bruxism (teeth grinding) at some point in your life. How do we know that? Well a whopping 80 percent of the UK population have woken up with the symptoms of grinding teeth, which include jaw aches, headaches, facial pain and increased teeth sensitivity, for starters. Plus, there’s also been a notable increase in the demand for bruxism treatment in the past few years.
So, if you’re one of them, it would seem you’re not alone and, whether you sleep with a teeth-protecting plastic mouth guard or not – it’s women like you, in their 20s and 30s, who are most at risk. Wanting to know whether you have bruxism and what you can do about it? We asked to the experts to reveal all...
The Experts
Functional dentist and author of The Dental Diet, Dr Steven Lin
Principal Dentist & Founder of Luceo Dental, Dr Tom Crawford-Clarke
What is bruxism?
'Bruxism is a condition where by subconsciously you clench or grind your teeth together either during the hours you are awake or during the night,' says Dr. Crawford-Clarke.
'Enamel is the hardest material in our bodies and even through normal chewing over time we will wear our teeth down, on average 0.02-0.04mm per year. Studies have shown nocturnal clenching can produce over a 10 x increase in the maximum bite force of normal chewing. So if you bite down as hard as you "think" you can - and we recorded that force, then we recorded the clenching force at night it could be ten times as hard! So it's no wonder people wake up thinking their jaw is aching,' he adds.
'So with chronic clenching and bruxism, the enamel will wear down much quicker and can over time expose the inner part of your tooth, called dentine. Clenching will also cause micro-cracks in teeth which put the teeth at greater risk of chipping and breaking and potentially needing fillings because bacteria can harbour insides the cracks. The extra biting forces clenching produces will over time also damage fillings, crowns, veneers, bonding etc meaning they will need to be replaced more frequently. The extra biting forces can also cause periodontal trauma which causes mobility and movement of teeth,' continues Dr Crawford-Clarke
How can I tell if I have bruxism?
'I see patients on a weekly basis who will present with the following issues, says Dr Crawford-Clarke.
Jaw tension
headaches
painful jaw joints and clicking
Sometimes it is the partner that has heard them grinding their teeth
Can bruxism be cured?
'Because bruxism is more often than not psychological, curing it is not always easy or possible,' reveals Dr Crawford-Clarke.
'Having a joint multi-disciplinary team approach can help, so dentist, doctor and sometimes a psychologist. You may never find the route cause of the bruxism, so the treatment is more aimed at managing symptoms and protecting your teeth,' he adds.
What causes bruxism?
'Teeth grinding is very common and often put down to stress,' says functional Dr Lin. 'But it can also be a broader sign of an airway problem – particularly in slender women who have smaller, thinner jaws, necks and faces. In this subset, grinding teeth can occur because, due to the nature of their build, they have smaller airways that don’t deliver oxygen to the body in the way it should.'
Which means? 'If the brain thinks it’s not getting sufficient air, it can trigger a choking response or survival mechanism, which kicks the sympathetic nervous system to open the airway by pushing the jaw forward and, consequently, grinding teeth,' he adds.
Bruxism: Treatment options
The first thing will be to see your dentist so they can make a thorough assessment and diagnosis and take intra-oral records so the amount of wear can be monitored.
'We use an intra oral scanner which is the most accurate way of monitoring. Clenching is usually stress related, so being aware you are doing it is the first step, trying to reduce stress levels is easier said than done of course,' reveals Dr Crawford-Clarke.
Mouth guard
'The most common treatment is a bite guard, there are lots of different types depending on your symptoms and your mouth. You can have a soft bite guard to protect teeth, but this will not stop the clenching and could exacerbate jaw and muscle pain making the problem worse for example,' explains Dr Crawford-Clarke.
Botox
'In your masseters can be a good option as this will reduce the muscle ability to clench as hard. Overtime you can also get some muscle atrophy (so the muscles get smaller), leading to less force being generated. Patients ask if you can still eat, which of course you can, as the amount of biting force needed for chewing is quite small in comparison to what chronic clenchers produce.'
Correct breathing
While mouth guards may protect your teeth from the impacts of teeth grinding, they don’t tackle the root cause. Dr Lin’s plan is to focus on breathing. 'One way to help to get the right amount of oxygen, is to make sure your mouth, tongue, and airways are strengthened and toned,' says Dr Lin. 'Breathing, tongue exercises, and diet are all part of keeping your jaw and teeth functioning as they should.'
'Every time you breathe, you exert an expanding force on your upper jaw,' says Dr Lin. 'If you breathe improperly (usually through your mouth), your teeth can drift or become crooked, your facial muscles don’t work as they should, and you slowly starve your body of oxygen.'
'Getting into the habit of breathing through the nose, deep into your diaphragm (your belly should expand instead of your chest), during the day, can therefore help you breathe better at night. It requires the proper posture of your tongue sitting at the roof of your mouth with the tip just behind your front teeth, which trains the muscles of the beck and throat to support your airways. Breathing deeply and calmly while you sleep, as opposed to taking short, shallow breaths, will deliver oxygen to the brain and prevent the trigger of choking responses,' he clarifies
Tongue training
Training your tongue to hold its position at the top of your mouth at rest, will help the muscles stay active at night,” says Dr Lin. “Hold your tongue behind your back teeth, push upwards (including the sides and back of your tongue) and hold for three minutes. Repeat twice a day)
Diet
'The muscles, joints, and bones in the face form the support structure for your airways,' says Dr Lin. So, exercising your jaw also helps to keep your airways healthy.
'When we eat processed or highly refined foods, we deny our jaw this exercise. Prioritise hard, fibrous whole foods such as raw vegetables, nuts and seeds and meat on the bone. Focus on chewing equally on both sides to keep the joints working evenly and to minimise inflammation.'
Bedtime routine
'Do some diaphragmatic breathing exercises, or practice these as part of some gentle yoga, 30 minutes before bed to calm and relax the body,' Dr Lin says.
In Dr Lin’s book, The Dental Diet, he explains how practicing some simple “Pilates for the face and mouth” can help to increase the volume of your airway while you are sleeping, ensuring you deliver sufficient oxygen to the brain – not only halting bruxism in its tracks but also meaning you’ll wake up feeling much more alert and refreshed. (So, even if you don’t experience bruxism yourself, you can still benefit from these exercises).
How can I prevent bruxism while I sleep?
But we know what you’re thinking. How can you ensure your tongue stays glued to the roof of your mouth, and your lips sealed, when you’re drifting away in dream land? 'For people with small jaws, propping yourself up on your side, should minimise the risk of your tongue falling back,' Dr Lin says.
Does mouth taping stop teeth grinding?
It's thought that mouth taping may help with bruxism because it's a condition closely linked with mouth breathing. Mouth taping works by encouraging nasal breathing which can also help improve your oral health.
However, dentists don't recommend it. 'There’s no solid evidence to support mouth taping at night, so it's not something I would routinely recommend to my patients, despite the benefits of nasal breathing. It's also suspected that despite taping the mouth, as it's not fully closed, mouth breathers will tend to breathing through the mouth anyway, and I certainly wouldn't recommend taping your entire mouth shut,' says Dr Crawford-Clarke.
More sleep and teeth stories...
19 ways to sleep better tonight. Sweet dreams
5 ways you're brushing your teeth wrong
12 major signs you’re grinding your teeth at night, according to dentists
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