Most people who grind their teeth during sleep are unaware of it, because the activity occurs entirely outside conscious awareness. The first indication is often external: a bed partner mentions hearing a grinding or scraping sound during the night. Beyond that, there are clinical signs that become visible during a dental examination. Flattening of the biting surfaces of the molar and premolar teeth, chipping along the edges of the front teeth, and patterns of enamel wear that do not correspond to normal dietary acid or toothbrush abrasion are characteristic of grinding activity. Some patients also notice: waking with a tired or aching jaw that eases through the morning, a feeling of muscle stiffness or soreness in the jaw and temples on waking, increased tooth sensitivity in the absence of decay or gum recession, or headaches that are present when you wake and improve once you are up and moving.
At Tooth Firm, HSR Layout, Bengaluru, the clinical examination I perform identifies the characteristic wear patterns of bruxism, and together with the history you provide, forms the basis for a management plan that protects what remains of your tooth structure.
Written by Dr. Deepa Jayashankar, MDS (Prosthodontics and Implantology), Fellowship in Temporomandibular Disorders, Orofacial Pain and Sleep Medicine (USA), Founder and Chief Dentist, Tooth Firm Dental Care and Implant Center, HSR Layout, Bengaluru 560102. Phone: +91 8088058704.
