Stress causes tooth grinding. - Tooronga Family Dentistry in Glen Iris

A study published in the journal Head & Face Medicine suggests that adults and kids, faced with stress tend to manifest it by grinding their teeth. In addition to the increase in tooth wear and fractures during stressful times, tooth grinding can cause headaches and sleep problems which only add to the worries experienced by my patients. Although I’m certain that the present turbulent times will pass and with them the tooth grinding, the effects on the teeth and joints, can lead to lasting problems that include chipped teeth, worn enamel, chronic pain, or even TMD, a painful jaw disorder. This is the reason why it is important to prevent the damages caused by grinding.

The first step in dealing with tooth grinding is to acknowledge the problem. There are two kinds of tooth grinding patterns, a daytime habit and a night time habit. The symptoms of tooth grinding include:

• Sensitivity in the teeth
• Tightness or pain in the jaw
• Dull headaches, earaches, or facial pain
• Chipped, worn down, or loose teeth

For those patients who have the daytime habit, once I mention it to them and they become aware of it, they can control and stop it. This is the best preventive measure, for daytime grinding.

While those who do it during the night don’t realise that they grind their teeth in their sleep. It is usually the parent or the partner who hear the grinding noises at night and are often the first to notice the problem. At times though it only emerges when I demonstrate the wear signs on the teeth during a periodical exam. To examine the severity of the grinding pattern I can make a special device that can record the evidence. The prevention of night time grinding is with a mouth guard that needs to be worn during the sleep and stops the damages to the teeth.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Kaufman or to call today Tooronga Family Dentistry, phone number 98227006, for more information about protection for your teeth while grinding.