Bruxism Health Article

Definition

Bruxism is the habit of clenching and grinding the teeth. It most often occurs at night during sleep, but may also occur during the day. It is an unconscious behavior or habit perhaps performed to release anxiety, aggression, or anger.

Description

Bruxism is one of the oldest disorders known, and approximately one in four adults experience it. It can occur in children and adolescents as well; cases of bruxism in children as young as 24 months have been reported. Most people are not aware of the disorder until their teeth have been damaged.

Causes & symptoms

While bruxism is typically associated with stress, it may also be triggered by abnormal occlusion (the way the upper and lower teeth fit together) or crooked or missing teeth. Symptoms of bruxism include: dull headaches; sore and tired facial muscles; earaches; sensitive teeth; and locking, popping, and clicking of the jaw. During a dental examination, a dentist may recognize damage resulting from bruxism, including: enamel loss from the chewing surfaces of teeth; flattened tooth surfaces; loosened teeth; and fractured teeth and fillings. Left untreated, bruxism may lead to tooth loss and jaw dysfunction.

Bruxism also appears to be associated with Rett syndrome, an X-linked neurodegenerative disorder that occurs almost exclusively in girls. It is not known as of 2003 why children with this disorder frequently develop bruxism.

Diagnosis

Medical and dental histories, examinations, and x rays are usually necessary to differentiate bruxism from other conditions that may cause similar pain, such as ear infections, dental infections, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). In many cases, untreated bruxism can lead to chronic TMJ due to the stress that prolonged grinding places on the jaw and the temporomandibular joint.

Wearing away of the tooth surface is generally regarded as the most important clinical sign of bruxism. Although there is no universally accepted scale for measuring the degree of tooth wear, a 2002 Dutch study reported on a five-point scale that appears to be a reliable instrument for diagnosing bruxism. The five points are as follows:

• 0 = no wear.
• 1 = visible wear within the tooth enamel.
• 2 = visible wear with dentine exposure and loss of crown height.
• 3 = loss of crown height between 1/3 and 2/3.
• 4 = loss of crown height greater than 2/3.