Teeth Grinding Waking You Up at Night? We Have a Solution

Night after night, you dread going to sleep because you know it will be anything but restful. Sometimes, you wake yourself up from teeth grinding, and other times, your partner gives you a less than gentle reminder that you’re keeping them from a good night’s sleep.

If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. Teeth grinding affects 30 to 40 million American adults and children. The good news is there are treatment options that can help, says Ginger Rome, DDS, at The Dentists at North Cypress in Houston, Texas. In this blog, Dr. Rome explains what causes teeth grinding and how to get relief and sleep like a baby.

What causes teeth grinding?

Let’s begin this topic by taking a deep dive into teeth grinding. Teeth grinding, sometimes called bruxism, is different from patient to patient. For some patients, it’s all about teeth grinding in a side-to-side motion, while for others, the issue manifests as excessive jaw clenching. 

Bruxism can occur during the day or at night and has two main types – primary and secondary. With secondary teeth grinding, the clenching and grinding connect to an underlying developmental or neurological issue or perhaps a side effect of a prescription drug.

In contrast, primary bruxism is unrelated to an underlying medical condition. There are two types of primary bruxism: awake or daytime and sleep or nighttime. With awake bruxism, patients excessively clench their jaw as a reaction to stress or anxiety and may or may not be fully aware that they’re doing it. 

With sleep bruxism, patients exhibit more teeth grinding than jaw clenching or do a combination and are often unaware that they are doing it. The action disrupts their sleep, and they wake up tired with jaw pain or headaches.

The health implications of teeth grinding

While jaw pain and sleepless nights are never a good thing, bruxism can have oral and overall health implications.

Worn, damaged teeth

Bruxism can wreak havoc on your teeth, causing permanent damage, such as chips and cracks, and even worn down teeth enamel, which may require restorative dentistry treatments like dental crowns, bridges, or veneers. Serious cases of bruxism may cause tooth loss.

Bruxism and sleep disorders

The health implications of bruxism don’t stop there. If you suffer from sleep bruxism, there’s a good chance that your condition is related to a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.

Obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of developing high blood pressure and even life-threatening conditions like heart attack and stroke. We help patients with sleep bruxism related to OSA by creating a custom-made oral appliance.

A custom mouthguard can help

Mouthguards are a treatment option that can mitigate the impact of teeth grinding. The Dentists at North Cypress can create a mouthguard in two visits. The process works with you coming in for an initial appointment where your dentist conducts a thorough oral examination, reviews your dental records, and performs a series of oral X-rays if needed. She also asks you questions about your symptoms.

After reviewing this data, if your dentist concludes that you have enamel damage because of bruxism, she uses an intraoral scanner to create impressions of your jaw and teeth. She sends this data to a dental laboratory that creates your custom mouthguard. About a week later, you return for your second and final appointment. During this visit, she checks the fit and makes adjustments if needed. She sends you home with instructions on how to care for your mouthguard.

If you’re suffering from sleep disruptions and think you may be grinding your teeth, contact The Dentists at North Cypress for an evaluation. Call us today or schedule an appointment online.