Teeth grinding

Causes of teeth grinding

There are various reasons why people grind their teeth, but some are physiological reactions to adjust the bite, such as teeth grinding that occurs during growth.
However, there are also people who grind their teeth strongly on a daily basis even if there are no problems with their bite, and the mechanism of teeth grinding is still unclear. People may unconsciously grind their teeth by clenching or clicking their teeth when they are awake during the day.

Types of teeth grinding

1. Grinding
(the general type where the upper and lower teeth are aligned)

A grinding sound is made and the lower jaw repeatedly moves from side to side.

2. Tapping
(the type where the upper and lower teeth are bumped together)

A clicking sound is heard and the lower jaw moves up and down repeatedly.

3. Clenching
(the type where you clench your upper and lower teeth hard)

There is almost no sound. The upper and lower teeth are clenched tightly with great force for a long period of time.

Treatment for teeth grinding and clenching

A common treatment for teeth grinding
is a mouth guard.

Wearing a mouth guard when you sleep at night can reduce the strain on your teeth. One of the main purposes is not only to protect your teeth, but also to reduce stress. However, since the root cause of teeth grinding is likely to be stress, it is important to reduce stress in some way.