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Grinding:

"Bruxism" is the term dentists use to describe the habit that many people have of grinding their teeth together. Most commonly it happens during sleep when the person gnashes, grates, grinds or clenches their teeth. Bruxism is a relatively common habit which may occur in about 15 percent of the population.

Although the exact cause of the habit is not known, there seems to be a link between bruxing and periods of stress in your life. Most people report that the habit comes and goes, and often it can be linked to major life events like moving to a different or new house, changing jobs, relationship problems .. and other things that bug us. Bruxism patients seem to be more anxious by nature and may be associated with suppressed anger and unresolved frustration.

There is also a theory that bruxism occurs because of some irregularity in your bite ('occlusion'), and the habit is your subconscious way to grind down the offending tooth that is out of position. This theory has not been conclusively shown to be the sole cause of bruxism. Alcohol intake may also aggravate the condition.

It can be also relatively common in children as young as five and may be associated with problems at school or at home. Some children also 'brux' when they are getting their adult teeth and this may be caused by teething discomfort. Thankfully, the habit usually disappears as quickly as it started.

"How do I know I do it?"

Ask the other people in your household about it. If you do brux, your partner will probably be report that you do make grating or grinding noises in your sleep that may even be loud enough to wake them up! Other signs include :

waking up in the morning with sore jaws, teeth and muscle which seems to get better as the day progresses
headaches or migraine-like soreness which seem to come from the side of the temple or behind the eyes
damaged/worn teeth or fillings
damaged gums or bone
aches in your jaw joints (which are in front of your ears)
muscle spasms and soreness on the side of your face, top of your head or around your jaws
tiredness, anxiety and stress

Night Guards and Grinding:

A night-guard or 'splint' can be made by your dentist. This is a piece of plastic that fits over your teeth (usually the top teeth) which is worn to bed so that you grind on the plastic, not your teeth. In some patients, this seems to have a self-regulatory effect which stops the habit altogether. Perhaps this is because you achieve less satisfaction when trying to grind on this smooth piece of hard plastic.