Sleep bruxism, also known as grinding or clenching teeth during sleep, is quite common. Your jaw can tense up in a contraction whilst you snooze which may then cause the sound of tooth grinding. This could lead to severe dental issues as it wears down your teeth and can happen hundreds of times per night when at its worst. In milder circumstances, how much it grinds may vary.
Severe bruxism can temporarily disrupt your sleep. At times, it may wake you completely. The grinding of teeth, generating loud noises, can be disruptive and unpleasant not just to the sufferer but also to a bed partner. It's known to affect all stages of non-REM sleep, especially stages one and two.
The cause of sleep-related bruxism is uncertain, though links have been suggested between it and stress, genetics, medications, and disturbances in breathing while sleeping.
What Are The Symptoms?
The following are signs of bruxism:
- Tooth pain
- Jaw muscle pain
- Mouth and facial pain
- Limited jaw movement
- Damaged or worn teeth
- Sore gums
- Headaches
You may be unaware of bruxism, unless someone around you can hear the noise. It tends to be quite high in children, with an incidence rate of between 14% and 17%. The condition often begins once a child's upper and lower teeth have fully come through the gums but, worryingly, at least one-third of kids manage to keep it into adulthood. The prevalence drops among young adults to 8%, before further declines as age increases.
It is common for some to experience it every night during their lifetime, and in the elderly dentures may muffle any sound of teeth grinding. Bruxism seems to affect both men and women at an even rate, and there is a high chance of it running in the family with around 20-50% of bruxism sufferers having a relative with similar symptoms.