Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

This is such an "unsexy" topic. Teeth grinding. I don't think I grind my teeth previously but I was told by the dentist he suspected I grind my teeth when sleeping.

I had a tiny cavity on the side of my upper molar tooth, and the dentist filled it in using those white stuff (or whatever you call it). During the night, I felt something in my mouth and saw a small round piece had came off. Concerned I went back to the dentist the next day to check. He said that was the excess "filling" which he pasted over the next tooth as the cavity was on the side, so not to worry, the filling was still intact.

I didn't think much about it, as I thought it could be due to me eating hard food that evening after I had the filling done. But over the last couple of months, I had been feeling sensitivity on that tooth and was not sure if the filling had came off. So back to the dentist again. This time, it was another dentist at the clinic.

So this dentist said it looked like the white filling did not work for me, and re-filled it with the awful looking metal/silver filling. And he dropped the bombshell - "I think you probably grind your teeth when you sleep. The shape of your teeth showed indications."

So probably I ground my teeth and thus the white filling came off that night. The dentist said teeth grinding can be attributed to stress and I would need to wear a mouth guard to prevent further damage to the teeth.

I did some research and googled these info from WebMd.com on Teeth Grinding:

Why Do People Grind Their Teeth?
Although teeth grinding can be caused by stress and anxiety, it often occurs during sleep and is more likely caused by an abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth.

Why Is Teeth Grinding Harmful?
In some cases, chronic teeth grinding can result in a fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth. The chronic grinding may wear their teeth down to stumps. When these events happen, bridges, crowns, root canals, implants, partial dentures, and even complete dentures may be needed.

Not only can severe grinding damage teeth and result in tooth loss, it can also affect your jaws, result in hearing loss, cause or worsen TMD/TMJ, and even change the appearance of your face.

What Can I Do to Stop Grinding My Teeth?
Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep.

If stress is causing you to grind your teeth, ask your doctor or dentist about options to reduce your stress. Attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are among some of the options that may be offered.

Other tips to help you stop teeth grinding include:

• Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
  

• Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.

• Do not chew on pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
  
• Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
• Relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.