Bruxism or Tooth Grinding

Approximately 50 to 96 percent of adults experience bruxism (tooth grinding), and 15 percent of children acquire this behavior. The habit can occur during the day or at night, and more often than not, goes unnoticed by the person doing it.

There are several reasons why we may grind our teeth, including an abnormal bite or crooked or missing teeth. However, the most common reason for teeth grinding is stress. It is well known that increased stress levels can have a negative effect on one’s overall health, and these days, with the pressures and stresses of everyday life, many people are noticing that they grind their teeth more often.

Since most cases of bruxism occur while you sleep, how do you know if you grind your teeth? You may wake yourself up due to the grinding sound or from the pressure of clenching your jaw. In other circumstances, someone else may be able to see or even hear you doing it. However, because most patients are unaware that they are grinding their teeth, symptoms such as waking up with a headache, toothache, or earache, as well as tenderness to the face, jaw muscles, and/or the teeth and gums are all possible signs of bruxism. During a routine dental check-up, your dentist or dental hygienist may detect worn-down teeth or worn-down dental work on fillings or crowns. Over time, grinding can wear away or fracture tooth enamel and may eventually loosen teeth.

Grinding teeth is a common occurrence for most people at one time or another. If you suspect that you are routinely grinding your teeth, consult with a dentist as soon as possible says Dr. Cherukuri, from her Chino; California dental practice.

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Stress, Anxiety can lead to Teeth Grinding

Take a deep breath and relax. Stress and anxiety may bring some unwanted oral health concerns, such as teeth grinding—and you may not even be aware of it.

Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is when you clench your teeth, or slide your teeth back-and-forth over each other. Often, it occurs unconsciously while you sleep.
Although it’s not considered a dangerous disorder, it can put pressure on the jaw muscles and tissues, and wear down your teeth, according to the National Institutes of Health. It may lead to jaw pain, headaches and earaches, and permanent damage to the teeth.

While there are various causes to teeth grinding, daily stress may be the biggest trigger for most people. Symptoms include sensitivity in the teeth, sore jaw and insomnia.

To treat teeth grinding, the NIH recommends reducing your daily stress and learning various relaxation techniques, such as meditation. Relaxing your face and jaw muscles throughout the day—to make a habit out of it—can also help.

Often, avoiding hard foods such as candies and nuts, drinking plenty of water, and massaging the muscles of the neck, shoulders and face can help relieve or reduce any pain.

However, there are other possible causes of teeth grinding. These include: sleep disorders; an abnormal bite; misaligned teeth; and in children, irritation in the mouth and allergies.

In such cases, dentists may provide you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. Dentists may also recommend a muscle relaxant to be used before going to bed.

"Teeth grinding is generally a chronic condition that is best treated conservatively in its initial stages" says Dr.Cherukuri from her Chino, California practice.

For a free dental evaluation:

 Visit www.chinosmiles.com    or      Call 909 627-6699.

Stress and Oral Health

How Stress Affects Your Oral Health

Excess stress may give you a headache, a stomachache, or just a feeling of being "on edge." But too much stress could also be doing a number on your mouth, teeth, gums, and overall health.
The potential fallout from stress and anxiety that can affect your oral health includes:

• Mouth sores, including canker sores and cold sores
• Clenching of teeth and teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Poor oral hygiene and unhealthy eating routines
• Periodontal (gum) disease or worsening of existing periodontal disease

So how can you prevent these oral health problems?

Mouth Sores

Canker sores -- small ulcers with a white or grayish base and bordered in red -- appear inside the mouth, sometimes in pairs or even greater numbers. Although experts aren't sure what causes them -- it could be immune system problems, bacteria, or viruses -- they do think that stress, as well as fatigue and allergies, can increase the risk of getting them. Canker sores are not contagious.
Most canker sores disappear in a week to 10 days. For relief from the irritation, try over-the-counter topical anesthetics. To reduce irritation, don't eat spicy, hot foods or foods with a high acid content, such as tomatoes or citrus fruits.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are contagious. Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that often appear on or around the lips, but can also crop up under the nose or around the chin area.
Emotional upset can trigger an outbreak. So can a fever, a sunburn, or skin abrasion.

Like canker sores, fever blisters often heal on their own in a week or so. Treatment is available, including  laser therapy, over-the-counter remedies and prescription antiviral drugs. Ask  Dr. Cherukuri about faster healing with laser treatment.. It's important to start treatment as soon as you notice the cold sore forming.

Teeth Grinding

Stress may make you clench and grind your teeth -- during the day or at night, and often unconsciously. Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism.
If you already clench and grind your teeth, stress could make the habit worse. And, grinding your teeth can lead to problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet.
Ask Dr Cherukuri about what can be done for the clenching and grinding. She may recommend a night guard, worn as you sleep, or another appliance to help you stop or minimize the actions.

For more information, visit www.chinosmiles.com