Causes of bruxism, persistent tooth grinding and jaw clenching, can include stress, reactions to medications, anatomical abnormalities, and neurological disorders. A doctor may notice signs like abnormal tooth wear, while patients could experience symptoms like jaw pain and soreness. In a medical evaluation, care providers can discuss possible causes and determine why the problem is occurring. This can be important for treatment, which may vary depending on the cause.
Stress is one of the most common causes of bruxism. People with a great deal of stress caused by work, health problems, family, or a variety of other issues may grind their teeth, especially at night. Type A personalities and other aggressive people can be more prone to this problem as well, as can those with certain mental health conditions, like anxiety. The tooth grinding may act as a relief outlet for the stress, and can occur on an unconscious level while sleeping or engaging in other tasks. Treating the stress may resolve the tooth grinding.
Some psychiatric medications can be causes of bruxism. While this reaction is rare, it can occur, and may be hard to predict. Patients who change medications or increase dosages and notice jaw pain may want to speak with a medical professional to determine whether they are grinding their teeth. It could be possible to wear a mouth guard at night or to switch medications to resolve the problem.
Anatomy can be another culprit. Patients with misaligned teeth and jaws may grind them, and could also experience problems while eating. These causes of bruxism may be apparent on a physical examination or x-ray. Braces as well as surgery could correct the position of the teeth and jaw to resolve the issue. Treatment is important, as the patient might otherwise develop complications like cracked and damaged teeth.
Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease are also sometimes causes of bruxism. Patients with tremors and twitches may grind their teeth both at night and during the day. Better control of the condition could also manage the bruxism and patients might need to wear mouth guards for full protection. Tooth grinding is also sometimes associated with sleep disorders, in which case patients may not be aware of the problem, although they can wake up with sore jaws and painful teeth. Partners who notice tooth grinding, abnormal breathing, and other signs of distress during sleep may want to bring it up, to determine if a medical evaluation would be a good idea.