Habit: Strong enough to masticate sinewy and fibrous foods, our teeth are often unable to withstand the force of grinding. Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is typically the uncontrolled movement of teeth front to back and side to side, says Dr. C.R. Hoopingarner, a dentist in private practice and an adjunct associate professor in the department of restorative dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Damage: Grinding our teeth when we’re asleep is associated with the sleep cycle, when we switch from deeper to lighter levels of sleep. During this switchover, everyone’s teeth tend to grind.
Ideally, nocturnal bruxism lasts for only a few seconds. But some people manage to move top and bottom teeth together—literally wearing them down over time—for as long as 30 minutes at a stretch, Hoopingarner says, adding that many studies have linked the activity to stress. Nocturnal bruxism is especially harmful to the teeth, because our sleep state causes us to lose certain protective reflexes that can stop us from doing excessive damage. A preventive solution may be a protective nighttime appliance to keep the teeth from wearing down, he says.
During the day, instead of grinding, people may clench their teeth in a static position. Clenching may cause different problems, Hoopingarner says, such as the loosening of the periodontal ligament that holds the teeth in the bone, or of the teeth themselves.
Clenching can also stress and fatigue the muscles, including the masseter, temporalis and internal pterygoid, all three of which are associated with closing the mouth. Massaging the area may help relieve the tightness. Hoopingarner also suggests behavior modification techniques, such as self-checking for clenching after a frequently performed daily task. In the daytime, he says, upper and lower teeth should always be slightly apart.
Posted in: America’s Top 8 Nervous Habits
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