Teeth Grinding, or Bruxism

Nocturnal bruxism occurs when the sleeper grinds his/her teeth during sleep. The grinding occurs for a few seconds at a time and reoccurs throughout the night, usually when in stage 2 sleep. Someone nearby who is still awake can easily hear the noise resulting from bruxism.

Emilie had this when she was young. Although she didn't realize it herself, her parents could hear the noise from the hallway. It went away without treatment, although an orthodontist had suggested the possibility of using a mouth guard device.

A young adult with bruxism, T.B., shared his experiences. (4) He has used a fitted night guard to protect his mouth. Sometimes he can tell ahead of time if he is likely to grind his teeth that night, due to the what kind of day he had. He agrees that grinding may be related to allergies and stress. It occurs because the teeth alignment allows you "to open the Eustachian tubes of the ears which can become blocked up with fluid which has built up due to allergens, often dust in the bedroom." (5)

Bruxism can cause the teeth to wear down. If you have a painful jaw or your enamel (outer layer of the teeth) is wearing down, it would be best to consult your dentist. (1) Sometimes the person's jaw will also feel sore in the morning. If this continues, you might want to ask your doctor about temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) (6).

Resources consulted gave conflicting statistics as to whether grinding one's teeth in sleep is more common among children or adults. The following estimates were seen:

• 10-20% of adults (2)
• 11% of 3-7 year olds(3)
• 6% of 8-12 year olds (3)
• 2% of teenagers (3)
  

CAUSE -- The reason some sleepers grind their teeth is unknown. Nocturnal bruxism also seems to be genetic. As noted above, it is thought to be related to stress and possibly allergies. Some say teeth grinding can also be attributed to overbite (also called malocclusion), other jaw or teeth alignment problems and habits. (6)

See also Dr. Pohlhaus' web page about bruxism . (1)

(1) Pohlhaus, Steven R., D.D.S. Bruxism (Tooth Grinding) URL: http://www.stevedds.com/bruxism.htm. Last Modified: July 15, 1999. Permission to Link. Pohlhaus, Steven.stevedds@hotmail.com. July 25, 1999. email message.

(2)Morin MD, Charles M. Relief from Insomnia: Getting the Sleep of Your Dreams. New York: Doubleday Maintreet Books. 1996. p. 185

(3) Ancoli-Israel, Sonia. All I Want is a Good Night's Sleep. St. Louis: Mosby, 1996. p.98

(4) Interview with Bruxism patient, Falls Church, VA., Aug. 9, 1999.

(5) "The Nightly Guard" answers by Dr. Sears. Parenting, Aug. 1999, p. 35.

(6) Kim, George, Robert, MD. "Ask the Doc featured Q & A archives." May 6, 1998. Question from parent about 4-year-old who grindes his teeth in his sleep. www.Intellihealth.com, Johns Hpkins U. Archival cgi results of 12 March 1999.