Why Grinding and Clenching Your Teeth is a Problem
Everybody always asks what is bruxism and it’s basically just a fancy word for when you’re grinding or clenching your teeth together too much and too often.
Next let’s talk about the signs or symptoms of bruxism. There are 4 very common signs or symptoms that most people can recognize in their own mouth or on their own head or neck.
A very common sign would be broken teeth. If you are putting excessive forces on your teeth in a way that they’re not designed to handle then it’s very common for you to experience broken teeth or stress fractures in the teeth. Even though our teeth are the hardest substance in our body eventually they will wear down or break.
Another common sign would be sore muscles. If you’re overworking your jaw at nighttime your muscles will become fatigued and you’ll wake up in the morning with sore muscles or tired muscles. In addition you may wake up with headaches or feel very tight on the side your head.
Worn teeth will also be a very common sign or symptom. If you’re again playing with your teeth or excessively rubbing them together you may notice that your back teeth are becoming flat and your front teeth are becoming short. This could become a very complicated problem that can often feed on itself and make the problem worse over time.
Lastly, TMJ issues could also become a sign or symptom of bruxism. Clicking or popping or pain in your joints: these are not normal and oftentimes will be a sign or symptom of a larger problem.
