By Dr. Carol Lybrook, DDS
Editor’s Note: The author, Dr. Carol Lybrook and her husband, Dr. Scott Lybrook, operate Lybrook Dental Center in Fruita.

You’re sound asleep, pleasant dreams dancing across your subconscious. You snuggle down into your pillow — and suddenly you’re awakened by a horrible sound. Your spouse is grinding his/her teeth. What an irritating sound. As bad as fingernails scratching across the black board. And far more dangerous.

According to the American Dental Association, this is nocturnal bruxism – grinding of the teeth in the night – and it can have far-reaching implications, like loosening and loss of teeth. It can also cause another condition – temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ.) TMJ occurs when the muscles, joints and ligaments of the jaw move out of alignment. Symptoms of this are headache, earache and pain in the face, neck or shoulder.  While no hard figures on the frequency of bruxism are available, at the very least, one out of twenty Americans brux. Most likely, one in four Americans brux. Over 80 percent of all bruxers maybe unaware of the habit, so they may dismiss evidence that they do in fact engage in this self-destructive behavior.

Bruxism is also closely associated with some sleep disorders. Research has discovered that people who brux are more likely to snore, suffer from breathing pauses during sleep and be victims of sleep apnea.  As is the case in many sleeping problems, stress is a major cause of bruxism. Even during the day, it’s not unusual to clench or grind the teeth when angry or nervous. The use of tobacco, alcohol or caffeine tends to aggravate the problem.

It’s a disorder that can affect people of all ages, men and women. It does seem to decrease with age, and the worst cases occur in the 19 to 44 year age group.

What Can I Do to Stop Grinding My Teeth?

Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. If stress is causing you to grind your teeth, ask your doctor about options to reduce your stress. Attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are among some of the options that may be offered.

Other tips to stop teeth grinding include:

• Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
• Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.
• Do not chew on pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
• Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
• Relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.

If you think that you have bruxism, one solution is visit your dentist and find a solution for not just better oral health but also for a better nights rest. To learn more about bruxism, talk to your dentist during your next regular check-up. It might save you some sleep!