The connection between ADHD and teeth grinding is real. Studies have shown that children who are diagnosed with ADHD have a risk of developing ADHD teeth grinding and bruxism later in their adulthood. People that have ADHD typically deal with stress, anxiety, and other hyperactivities that can lead to teeth grinding.
Bruxism can be associated with some mental health and medical disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, night terrors, sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Autism is a developmental disorder with manifestations that include severe deficits in communication, and children with autism commonly engage in bruxism (ie, teeth grinding) during sleep. This habit can affect occlusion, mastication, speech, appearance, self-esteem, and quality of life.
Coping strategies can ease ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsive urges, and difficulty focusing. Taking exercise breaks and setting timers can help refocus your thoughts if your mind wants to wander.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
It's often linked to: stress and anxiety – this is the most common cause of teeth grinding. sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnoea. taking certain medicines, including a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Bruxism can also be a form of stimming. It's a way that people with autism or sensory processing disorder calm and organize themselves especially in times of stress or extreme emotions.
Teeth Grinding and Anxiety
Certainly, grinding or clenching teeth can be one manifestation of holding tension and responding to stress, and many individuals who experience anxiety (and depression) do also grind their teeth. Grinding teeth does not necessarily mean you are experiencing anxiety (or depression), however.
What causes bruxism? Oral health specialists often point to too much stress and certain personality types as causes of bruxism. Bruxism often affects people with nervous tension, such as anger, pain, or frustration. It also affects people with aggressive, hurried, or overly competitive tendencies.
Often we see children grind their teeth as a sign of jaw weakness and a need for sensory input.
Another study showed that children with ADHD had nearly 12 times the odds of having a high number of diseased, missing, and filled teeth. The second reason children with ADHD are at risk for cavities is because of medication.
The Most Common Dental Issue Seen in Patients with ADHD
First, it can sometimes be difficult for children with ADHD to perform routine activities like brushing their teeth or flossing. These poor oral hygiene practices put individuals with ADHD at risk for cavities.
Bruxism is a technical term for teeth grinding or clenching. This habit can cause you to clench or grind your teeth unconsciously during the day (awake bruxism) or at night while you're sleeping (sleep bruxism). Teeth grinding can signify other conditions, like TMJ, snoring, anxiety, and stress.
Grinding or bruxism involves moving the jaw with the teeth held together. This results in substantial visible wear and flattening of the teeth which is usually obvious both to dentist and patient. Clenching is simply holding the teeth together and tightening the jaw muscles.
Research suggests people with PTSD that have harbor suppressed anger tend to release this at night by grinding. This is a natural reaction that the mind uses to release tension which cannot generally be controlled unless the root cause of the mental issue is identified and cured.
Whether depression has made it hard to brush your teeth, your meds cause dry mouth, or you clench and grind from stress, bipolar disorder can do a number on your teeth! Here's how to start caring for those pearly whites.
While there is no cure to completely stop teeth grinding, treatment can reduce its frequency. View Source , decrease its impact, and relieve symptoms. In addition, home care tips can make it easier to cope with sleep bruxism.
The imbalance occurs with the disturbances in the dopamine mediated transmission of action potential. In case of bruxism there may be an imbalance in both the pathways. Acute use of dopamine precursors like L-dopa inhibits bruxism activity and chronic long term use of L-dopa results in increased bruxism activity.
ADHD often occurs with other disorders. Many children with ADHD have other disorders as well as ADHD, such as behavior or conduct problems, learning disorders, anxiety and depression1,2.