It’s that one telltale sign your dentist warned you about: waking up with an aching jaw.
Where bruxism – more commonly known as teeth grinding or clenching – is a common occurrence, a night’s sleep may come with side effects. And unfortunately, for some people, a sore jaw is only the tip of the iceberg.
“Jaw soreness can lead to headaches called ‘skeletal muscle headaches,’” says Dr. Jeffrey Angart, founder of New Albany Center of Dental Health. “And 80 percent of migraines are precipitated by skeletal muscle cramping from grinding teeth.”
Patients with bruxism may even experience tinnitus or ringing in the ears, as well as earaches. And, of course, grinding, gnashing or clenching the jaw also damages the teeth.
“Teeth wear is the direct result of bruxism, and it can lead to other complications,” Angart says.
But here’s where things get tricky. Tooth wear may arise from other sources. Wear can also occur from acid erosion (too much acidity in saliva), tooth abrasion (resulting from bad brushing habits), reflux, bulimia or upsetting the mouth’s pH balance by drinking too much soda. A dentist’s evaluation can determine if wear is brought on by bruxism.
And how is bruxism associated with snoring or disorders like sleep apnea?
“People struggling to breathe posture their jaw forward in their sleep as a result of airway issues,” says Angart. “But there is no definitive science of a direct correlation to sleep apnea, though there is a lot of anecdotal evidence.”
More serious cases of bruxism involve the TMJ, located in front of the ears. Some patients experience “internal deranging” of these joints, Angart says, one symptom being audible “clicking and popping.”
“Just like with every other joint, the wearing down can lead to degenerative issues,” Angart says. “But nobody has died from this. People live with it.”
There is evidence to show that bruxism is more likely to occur under certain conditions, such as when a person is under stress, Angart says.
“During stress, your psyche is being stimulated, and when you stay in the ‘fight or flight’ mode, the neurotransmitters in the brain release more epinephrine in the system,” he says. “That stimulates an amount of activity that increases bruxism.”
A similar phenomenon may occur when a person drinks caffeine before bedtime. Alcohol intake at bedtime also increases the likelihood of bruxism, as do airway issues and even disrupted sleep.
“People tend to grind more in their REM (rapid eye movement) sleep cycle,” Angart says. “If going in and out of this cycle is delayed, then it increases the REM cycle.”
People with missing teeth or an off-kilter bite similarly experience increased risk of bruxism.
“If you have you have a bad bite or other risk factors, you tend to work that spot that isn’t balanced to compensate,” Angart says.
Beyond sleep, bruxism can and does often occur in the waking hours. So when you’re at your computer at work, pay special attention to how you’re sitting in your chair.
“Posturing your jaw, or sliding the jaw forward when you’re not aware, relates to a person’s physical posture,” says Angart. “Not having vertical posture, but rather hunching shoulders, keeps the jaw thrust forward and can lead to shoulder pain and increased incidence of bruxism. Sitting upright with your tummy in, shoulders back and head level would be better than leaning forward.”
So is there a cure for bruxism?
“There’s no secret sauce or magic bullet,” says Angart. “And people do it at different times in life. For some, it’s during more hormonal cycles, and women do it more than men.”
Thankfully, there are ways to manage bruxism and keep the aches, discomfort and teeth wear it so often causes at bay. These include orthodontic treatments, bite adjustments, replacement of missing teeth, crowns, airway management and stress alleviation, Angart says.
New Albany resident Debbie Rigaud is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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