Teeth grinding is a condition were one clenches the teeth and moves the upper and lower jaws against each other in a “grinding” motion. The more scientific term for teeth grinding is “Bruxism.”
According to www.medicinenet.com, some of the symptoms that are categorized under teeth grinding include the following: headaches, muscle pain, jaw tenderness, shortened teeth, gum recession, notches or indentations on the gum line of teeth, tooth sensitivity, cracked and broken teeth, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (1).
Furthermore, according to www.medicinenet.com, the exact cause of teeth grinding is not well understood; however, most experts in the field do believe that an increase in mental stress plays a major role. Other issues that that may be correlated with teeth grinding include the following: breathing airway issues (sleep apnea), abnormal bite, strain, trauma, jaw posture positions, tooth position, and lifestyle activities (1).
Teeth grinding is a treatable condition. Treatment comes in a variety of forms. As stated on www.medicinenet.com, in most cases, a dentist may provide a mouthguard in order to protect the teeth once grinding occurs when one sleeps. Airway issues may also contribute to teeth grinding, thus, it would be beneficial to proceed with a “sleep study” in order to determine whether or not an airway issue exists (1).
References
Snyder, Todd. "Teeth Grinding: Mouth Guards and How to Stop." MedicineNet. Accessed December 16, 2018. https://www.medicinenet.com/teeth_grinding_bruxism/article.htm.