Symptoms and signs of bruxism
Symptoms of bruxism, can vary from mildly irritating to dangerous for both dental and physical health, depending on the severity of the condition.
In most cases, bruxism doesn't cause serious complications and because grinding often occurs during sleep, most people are unaware that they grind their teeth.
Early diagnosis of damage caused by severe bruxism often includes the following symptoms :
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Worn down teeth abraded teeth
A person can actually grind their teeth so hard while asleep, that sometimes significant amounts of tooth structure can be lost over time.
Usually it is the canines and incisors that are moved against each other in a side to side action.
This abrades tooth enamel, removing the sharp biting surfaces and flattening the edges of the teeth.
The front teeth become worn to exactly the same length and the teeth look flat at the tips.
If bruxism involves the back teeth, worn cusp tips is a first symptom of teeth grinding.
In some cases the loss of tooth enamel is even more than in severe tooth decay.
Damage to the tooth enamel makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate to the softer part of the teeth, increasing the possibility of tooth decay and tooth fractures.
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Fractures of teeth or fillings is a common symptom in bruxism patients.
Teeth clenching puts teeth under high pressure. As a result, the edges of front teeth and the cusps of molar teeth may start to show micro-fractures or cracks.
Eventually the teeth will break. In some cases the fracture goes deep down to the pulp area, requiring a root canal therapy.
Teeth grinding wears down the enamel, weakening the tooth structure. The force applied during teeth grinding may make the tooth structure to collapse,
especially if it has restorations (fillings or crowns) due to previous tooth decay.
Tooth sensitivity
Teeth become sensitive to cold, pressure and other stimuli.
Worn tooth enamel exposes the softer part of the tooth the dentine- making the affected teeth susceptible to tooth sensitivity problems.
Loose teeth Increased teeth mobility
Teeth grinding keeps teeth under constant lateral motion.
Although the motion is minor, by time it may lead to loss of supporting bone around the teeth resulting in loose teeth.
Bony ridges
- Instead of losing bone support, some people actually develop "extra" bone to support the teeth.
These appear as bony ridges that can be seen and felt on the jawbones as a smooth raised area about the level of the roots.
Cheek or tongue irritation
- It is common for people with a bruxism problem to bite their tongue or inner cheek, especially close to the molars area.
Annoying sounds while sleeping
- Teeth grinding may be loud enough to annoy other family members and especially sleeping partners.
TMJ problems
- Chronic bruxism is one of the leading causes of TMJ syndrome. Some of the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders,
that could be caused by bruxism, are :
- Sore jaw muscles facial pain around the jaw or ears area when chewing.
- Frequent headaches or pain in the neck or shoulders
- Clicking, locking or popping in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
- Ringing in the ears.
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