Teeth Grinding: Symptoms, Causes & What to Do

While you are sound asleep, you are completely unaware of what your body is doing. Bruxism, otherwise known as teeth grinding, affects both the one doing the grinding as well as their partner. During sleep, someone affected by this act habitually grinds or grates their teeth together so that it causes damage to the mouth. Teeth grinding can be very loud and wake up the offender as well as anyone sharing a bed or room. Identifying that you grind your teeth is the first step to getting appropriate treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Recording device

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Instructions

• 1

  Ask your partner or roommate. If there is anyone that shares a bed or room with you, they have probably heard you grind your teeth while you sleep. While not always the case, it can be very loud.

• 2

  Record a night of sleep. Set up a camera or audio recording device to record your sleep for an entire night. Play back tape, fast forwarding every 10 minutes or so, to listen for yourself grinding your teeth.

• 3

  Check your teeth in a mirror for visual signs of damage. Chronic grinders will have teeth that look worn down or chipped. There may be indents on the inside of your cheeks or tongue.

• 4

  Note any physiological distress. Headaches, jaw soreness, teeth sensitivity and earaches are all possible signs that you are grinding your teeth.

• 5

  Visit your dentist and ask her to examine your mouth and look for signs that you have been grinding your teeth. They are professionals and will be able to tell from experience what ground down teeth due to grinding look like.