Departments
Health Matters
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Week of 20 March 1998 |
Vol. I, No. 24 |
Health Matters
When stress becomes mordant
My husband grinds his teeth when he sleeps. Is he damaging his teeth? What can he do to prevent this?
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is a habit that plagues both children and adults. An estimated 95 percent of the U.S. population will grind their teeth at some point during their life. Teeth grinding occurs most often at night, so most people are unaware of the problem. While it may cause teeth to be worn down and can be annoying to those who are awakened by it or have to listen to it, teeth grinding poses no specific dental problems in the majority of cases.
"Teeth grinding is more annoying than it is harmful," says Douglas Riis, D.M.D., a professor of restorative sciences at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. "Some people, however, grind their teeth to an extreme, and this can be quite destructive and require expensive dental work."
In these extreme cases, the teeth and supporting structures can be permanently damaged by constant grinding. It can also cause headaches, but, Riis says, headaches are more often indicative of temporomandibular, or lower jaw, disorders.
Once thought to be caused by problems in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together when the jaws are closed (occlusion), recent studies suggest that changes in a person's stress level are the cause. Using sensors to detect teeth grinding during sleep, researchers have found that grinding increases during stressful periods in people's lives.
"What teeth grinding often indicates is the incredible stress that people, including children, are under," says Riis. "It seems to be a relatively mild form of releasing tension."
The most effective treatment for teeth grinding, short of reducing stress in one's life, is wearing a mouthguard at night. Nightguards, which Riis says are nearly 100 percent effective, alter central nervous system stimulation, interfering with stress signals and eliminating grinding. In addition, nightguards fit between the biting surfaces of the teeth and present a new surface for teeth to rub. Unlike mouthguards used to protect teeth during athletic competitions, nightguards must be custom-fitted to one's teeth.
Repair work to the teeth is done only in the most extreme cases. "Repair work requires that all teeth and one or both of the arches be repaired in order to maintain an even bite," says Riis. Worn teeth can be crowned, he adds, but at that point, the tooth is likely to be worn down again with further grinding.
Riis says that people should not be alarmed to see that their teeth are wearing down. "Wearing down of the teeth over time is part of the normal aging process," he says.
The bottom line, says Riis, is that teeth grinding presents no real danger. But like many things in life, the sooner it is attended to, the more manageable the habit becomes.
"Health Matters" is written in cooperation with staff members of Boston Medical Center. For more information about teeth grinding or other health matters, call 638-6767.