Squeaking Teeth: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Squeaking teeth, or bruxism, is primarily a dental problem, but it can have serious consequences for how your brain works. It consists of squeezing the jaws together and moving the teeth back and forth over each other. It tends to be something that happens subconsciously, which can make intervention and treatment complicated.
Grinding teeth can occur during the day or at night, and it is a bigger problem in the latter case because it is then more difficult to control. There is no definite cause for gnashing of teeth, but it seems that daily stress can be a psychological trigger for many.
Bruxism affects men and women equally. It happens less often as we get older – 14% of all children show symptoms, 12% of all adolescents and only 8% of all adults. An early diagnosis is fundamental to preventing dental health and sleep problems.
If we wake up with pain in the facial muscles or headaches, this may be the most common symptom of bruxism. Squeaking teeth causes toothache, loss of teeth and sometimes literally tearing down the teeth.
Furthermore, it destroys the bone that supports the tooth and causes problems in the joints, such as t
Symptoms such as stretching or tension in the facial muscles only appear when the gnashing of teeth reaches a specific point. Sometimes pain is experienced in the teeth, jaw, face, sinuses or ears. In some cases, the pain is experienced throughout the head. If the gnashing of teeth lasts for a long time, the muscle tension can extend to the neck and shoulders.
Factors that can make one gnash their teeth include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Waking up during a period of light sleep, which may be the most obvious symptom of this ailment
- To sleep on your back
- Your diet
- Your sleeping habits
- Incorrectly lined teeth
The correct treatment is directly linked to the cause, and it is important to go directly to the source and not just treat the symptoms.
Relaxation techniques can be very helpful as stress seems to be one of the leading causes of bruxism. Any initiative that effectively reduces stress can help, such as listening to music, reading or walking.
For cases where the key factor is a psychological condition, such as anxiety, we recommend that you learn relaxation techniques. Physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants may also be appropriate.
Seeing a therapist can also help reduce episodes of gnashing of teeth as it helps the patient relax and learn self-control. Steps to relieve anxiety help to control the influence that our hypothalamus and the limbic system have over the regulation of the muscles.
To treat bruxism is to reduce the symptoms and protect the teeth. If the problem persists, talk to an ear, nose, throat doctor or psychologist.
