This information should only be used for educational purposes in consultation with your physician. Good Sleep Health Inc assumes that you have read and understood the Terms of Use Agreement.
Author: Ron Cridland, MD
Sleep Bruxism is a condition consisting of teeth grinding and jaw clenching occurring during sleep. The bed partner may be disturbed by sounds of grinding. Bruxism causes excessive wear on the teeth and sometimes the teeth may crack or break, or fillings may become dislodged. It also may result in jaw pain and temporal headaches that is noticed in the morning on awakening. Otherwise, bruxism may not be noticed by the individual until the dentist points out excessive wear of the biting surfaces of the teeth.
Bruxism may be caused by tension and stress. Sometimes it is secondary to psychoactive drugs, recreational drugs, Parkinson’s Disease, certain neuromuscular conditions or developmental disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of bruxism is made by a history of teeth grinding sounds during sleep associated with dental wear, morning jaw pain or temporal headache. Although bruxism can also be seen with a polysomnogram, a sleep study is not usually required for diagnosis.
Management
If it appears to be related to medication then reducing or stopping the medication may be helpful. If it is noticed during respiratory arousals on a polysomnogram, then treating the sleep-related breathing disorder may help. Most often there is no obvious cause. Falling asleep using relaxation techniques may be helpful. It is important to protect the teeth using a dental night guard made by a dentist.
