If you believe the official statistics, then about 50% of the inhabitants of the globe, in one or another life period, faced with such an unusual phenomenon as night teeth gnashing. Basically, this problem occurs in children and women, men are much less susceptible. In medical terminology, involuntary rattle during sleep is called bruxism.
Rarely this phenomenon is systematic and causes significant damage to the body, but in case the night rattle does not disappear for a long time, then this reason to sound the alarm. The persistent nature of the squeak with teeth is fraught with the destruction of teeth and the erasure of enamel, as well as a change in bite and headaches.
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What is the danger of bruxism for a person?
All doctors in one voice say that you can not lose sight of even the most minor problems in the body, because, as you know, serious diseases begin with unobtrusive symptoms. So with bruxism. It can be a harbinger of complex pathologies that are difficult to treat.
Adults and children who suffer from creaking during sleep have huge risk to earn caries, various diseases of the oral cavity. Why is this happening? Patients develop tooth sensitivity due to the violation of the integrity of the enamel. A problem that has been troubling for years, wears the chewing organs right down to the roots, the same thing happens with dentures.
The constant creaking in a dream leads to the fact that the teeth become loose and become fragile, and the edges of the gums are significantly shifted. Also, bruxism indirectly affects the deformation of the temporomandibular joint due to the constant presence of muscles in a tense state. On x-ray images, a displacement of the head of the joint is noted. Great damage to the creak in a dream also inflicts the articular disc that binds the bones to improve the congruence of the movable bone joint. One of the serious consequences of gnashing of teeth can be a temporary cessation of breathing - apnea.
Psycho-emotional disruptions will make themselves known, if you do not diagnose bruxism in time, all because the nervous system of an adult or a child is unable to fully recover from poor sleep. Accumulated fatigue combined with mental disorders - direct road to chronic depression. In this situation, all family members are affected. One can only imagine what emotional discomfort a woman feels, unable to help her adult husband, to cope with the grave consequences of a squeak in a dream.
Causes of gnashing of teeth in a dream
The reasons why children and adults begin to grit their teeth are varied. There are 4 main groups.factors provoking bruxism:
- The inability to throw out the accumulated nervous tension, as well as acute experiences. Adults can grind their teeth due to painful shocks such as the death of a close relative, military service, an attack by hooligans, a break with the second half, a loss in gambling. A fragile childish psyche can react with bruxism to watching horror films, computer games, quarrels with parents and friends, upcoming exams. It so happens that a person is strongly annoyed by some fact, but he is unable to express outrage because of the nature or unwillingness to create a conflict situation.From day to day, the tension will increase, and as a result, it can result in a night teeth gnashing.
- Dental anomalies and abnormal bite. Common causes of tooth scratch. Bruxism often overtakes those who have structural defects of the facial skeleton and broken bite. The pathologies of the joints, which connect the temporal bone with the lower jaw, can act as an trigger in the development of bruxism, but doctors tend to assume that these causes are just a consequence of this disease. Unsuccessfully installed fillings can make sounds like creaking. When the active phase of sleep comes, the person involuntarily strains the muscles, and the fillings begin to rub against each other, creating a creak. Sometimes the appearance of bruxism contributes to the extensive restoration or installation of crowns. To avoid such complications, orthopedists offer the installation of temporary structures. If the patient has veneers placed on the front teeth, he should wear special night ‑ mouth guards and joint tires for several weeks before bedtime.
- Heredity. It is possible that the gnashing of teeth at night can be transmitted from parents to children.
- Worms Society has the mythical idea that teeth grinding can indicate the presence of helminths. However, in the overwhelming majority of episodes, this version is not confirmed by medical professionals, and the cause of the deviation lies in emotional factors and problems with the teeth.
Among other reasonscausing bruxism in adults can be identified:
- Excessive drinking
- Nicotine addiction
- Taking drugs
- Abuse of coffee and energy drinks
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson's disease
Symptoms of bruxism
Patients who are unaware that they begin to grit their teeth at night, The following symptoms may alert:
- Spasm of the masticatory muscles
- Throat sensation and tingling sensation
- Jaw pain
- Soreness of the temporomandibular joints
- Headache immediately after waking up
- Feeling of lumbos and tingling in the head
- Migraine
- Pain localized to the facial muscles and nerves
- Feeling of heaviness and pain in the shoulders, neck, back
- Pain or tinnitus
- Feeling of sleeplessness, feeling of weakness
- Insomnia
- Drowsiness during the day
- Depression, apathy, nervous tension
- Reduced appetite
- Increased sensitivity of the visual apparatus
Symptomatic picture of the disease has its own specifics. In the middle of the night, a gnashing of teeth is suddenly heard, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. Such attacks may occur several times during sleep.
Diagnosis, as a rule, is based on the patient's history. In addition to the main symptom, the patient can tell the doctor about joint and muscle pain in the lower jaw. On internal examination, visible disturbances are not always detected, however, in the chronic form of the disease, there is carious damage to the teeth and inflammation in the periodontal tissues. Erasing of enamel is associated with traumatization of the masticatory organs during the period of static reduction of the mandible.
In medical institutions that have logistical capabilities, can conduct polysomnographic analysis. Its purpose is to register the features of spastic contractions of the masticatory muscles. In addition, such a diagnosis is intended to exclude the presence of epilepsy, as a possible cause of teeth creaking.
How to help a person who began to grit his teeth in a dream?
Eliminating tooth squeak during sleep should begin with the relief of unpleasant symptoms. Wearing a mouthguard and trainer is one of the first recommendations that a doctor can give for the treatment of bruxism. In advanced cases, relaxing drugs are designed to cope with the problem. paralyzing effect on the muscles of the mouth.
Further treatment strategy depends on the reasons why a person clenches his teeth at night. If this is due to nervous tension, then the medical technique will be aimed at combating stress. In situations where the deviation is formed due to improper taste, consultation of the dentist is necessary. A visit to an orthodontist, an orthopedist, and, if necessary, to an implantologist will not be superfluous.
To forget about the creaking in a dream, you need to train the jaw muscles and learn to relax the jaw. For this you need carry out such recommendations:
- Include in your diet solid foods. Bagels, crackers, hard vegetables and fruits are perfect for loading the jaw.
- Constantly monitor that the jaw is not in a closed state.
- Make a compress from a towel and warm water. Attach it to the temporomandibular region.
- In medical equipment stores there is a wide range of mouthguards, specially designed for people who find teeth creak uncomfortable.
Making sure that gnashing of teeth in a dream causes stress and mental disorders is recommended follow these tips:
- Stop drinking in the morning and during the day strong coffee, black tea and energy based on taurine and caffeine. During the day, they fill the body with energy, and at night they cause side effects in the form of creaking of teeth.
- Before night rest it is useful to take a warm bath, drink herbal tea.
- Overvoltage should be avoided. It is necessary to objectively evaluate our own strength, on this basis, to evenly distribute the mode of work and rest.
- If possible, do not contact with people who cause negative emotions.