Have you ever noticed how you clench or grind your teeth sometimes, especially when under stress? Being a student, I do it when I’m under a lot of stress, especially at exam time. I’m not alone though. An amazing number of people do this sub consciously when sleeping even if they don’t admit it or are just not aware. Apparently, women are more susceptible than men, but nobody really knows why. Chomping teeth during the night can result in you waking up with horrible headache and jaw pains and cause damage to your teeth and dental work. It is not always obvious that bruxism is the cause of your problems, but your dentist should be able to spot the signs and advise you. However, fixing the problem is another thing altogether. You should tell your dentist if you think you grind your teeth and tell them about other symptoms such as early morning headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain. In some cases, you may be referred to your doctor or consultant, especially if you complain of jaw pain as this may indicate problems with your Temporo Mandibular Joint (TMJ). The TMJ is a very important joint and any damage or pain from the TMJ should be investigated thoroughly. Your dentist or specialist may prescribe a special tmj splint to protect your teeth and TMJ at night. Some of these splints are designed to keep your teeth apart which "unloads" the jaw joint, taking the pressure off of it.

According to research, sleep bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep) is an oral habit characterized by a rhythmic activity of the temporo-mandibular muscles that causes a forced contact between dental surfaces during sleep. People who lead a stressful life are particularly prone to the condition as well as those who have other sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

If you are not sure whether you are a nocturnal bruxer, you can carry out a home bruxism test by wearing a small device on your cheek whilst asleep. You can only use it only once, but in the morning, you get confirmation as to whether you have been grinding your teeth. It is a clever little device that shows, on a scale of 1-4 the extent of your night-time chomping. You can then present it to your dentist or doctor and agree how to tackle the problem.

Some people swear by non traditional methods of dealing with teeth grinding. Hypnotherapy, vitamin supplements and neck and shoulder massage are just a few of the ways in which people deal with the condition. The most common though, is the use of a dental guard that you wear at night. Such devices can protect your teeth but may not deal with the overall problem. Made of hard plastic, they are custom fitted and can require several visits to your dentist to get it fitting right. The end result may not be the most comfortable thing you have ever worn and the price may cause you to gag as well! If you are lucky, your dentist will fit one for about £100, but it is more likely to be several hundred pounds! Until recently, you could only get these dental guards from your dentist, but not everyone visits their dentist on a regular basis or cannot afford the cost of a custom fitted dental guard. Finding the time to make several visits to your dentist to have a dental guard fitted may also be a problem. For those people, there are several options, not all of them that are effective or helpful. For example, It would be a mistake to try one of the many sports mouth guards that are readily available over the internet and in sports stores. They are often bulky and are not really designed for teeth grinding problems. Other boil and bite teeth grinding guards are appearing in the UK and are available over the counter. Although frowned upon by the dental profession, the boil and bite guards, (so called because the patient has to heat plastic in water and then put it in their mouth) are becoming very popular.

One guard that is approved by the dental profession is the SleepRight Dental Guard. This ready to wear device does not need boiling or trimming and is the number one dental guard prescribed by dentists in the USA. It is now available without prescription in the UK from nobrux or other online pharmacies. It is the only guard that is CE certified and approved by the British Dental Health Foundation. Costing around £50 it is an affordable and effective alternative to a custom guard, often costing hundreds of pounds. The device comes with simple fitting instructions and advice so that you can eliminate the need for a guard over time. Following the "lips together, teeth apart" philosophy can help you develop positive habits to overcome teeth grinding.

Other ways in which you can reduce the risk of bruxing is by cutting down on caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially before going to bed. Not so easy when you are a student though!

Help me build this site by sending your experiences. Please click on the A to Z of teeth grinding. Interesting that so many factors are involved. Lets see if we can develop it further! contact rachel