Bruxism often affects people with nervous tension, such as anger, pain, or frustration. It also affects people with aggressive, hurried, or overly competitive tendencies. There is some proof that in some people, bruxism is caused by an imbalance in brain neurotransmitters.
Increased anxiety or stress can lead to teeth grinding. So can anger and frustration.
Share on Pinterest Stress or anxiety can cause the muscles in the jaw to tighten. Stress and anxiety are common causes of muscle tension. A person may clench their jaw or grind their teeth without noticing it, when stressed, and over time this can cause the muscles to tighten up.
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.
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.
Chronic, involuntary teeth grinding – technically called bruxism – can lead to all sorts of health problems. You could crack or fracture your teeth, which may require crowns or dental implants. You could also wear down the enamel on your teeth, leading to periodontal disease or lost teeth.
Some scientists, however, indicate a more frequent occurrence and greater severity of depressive symptoms in patients with bruxism [31,32]. This phenomenon can be explained in two ways. First of all, bruxism can be induced by some drugs used in the treatment of depression.
If bruxism goes untreated, it may lead to jaw muscle and joint problems. These are known as TMJ problems or TMD (temporomandibular disorder). You could even lose your teeth.
Medications to reduce dental anxiety
Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.
Oral anxiety is the stress effects on oral health. Stress or anxiety can impact your oral health; when you are stressed, your immune system is compromised, and while the cause of canker sores is not proven, there is some correlation or higher likelihood between lowered immune and those nasty painful canker sores.
Those with anxiety are also prone to hyperawareness, and that means that on occasion their teeth may feel like there are more problems than those without anxiety. For example, some people report that during an anxiety attack they feel as though their teeth are loosening or in pain.
Adrenalin is known as 'fight or flight' hormone as it creates a specific response useful for situations of stress, anger or fear.
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.
One 2019 study showed people who suffer from bruxism have higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies, and recent research has found that before a person enters a grinding episode, their brain activity and heart rate may rise, implying that the nervous system plays a role in bruxism.
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and may be part of the aetiology of awake bruxism (AB) and sleep bruxism (SB).
A dentist can treat problems from teeth grinding as soon as possible, so you can avoid long-term damage. Treat other dental problems you may have, including misaligned or missing teeth.
One in 5 children up to the age of 11 are reported to have sleep bruxism, although the real figure is probably higher as parents often are unaware. Children who brux usually begin at 4-8 years of age, the numbers increase between 10‑14 years of age and then start declining after age 14.
When a baby first starts to grow his initial set of teeth, he may start to grind them together. This usually begins to occur at the ages of 5 to 6 months, and bruxism at this age often goes unnoticed since the teeth often rub against the gums and make little to no noise.
Avoiding your alcohol intake, tobacco, smoking, and caffeine usage. Avoid chewing gums or chewing upon pens, pencils, nails or any hard objects. Avoid the intake of foods that requires a lot of chewing like nuts. If you become conscious of grinding at night stop immediately.
Botox® injections can be used to stop the cause of Bruxism by relaxing the over-active jaw muscles. This will take the pressure off the jaw, break the habit and at the same time, stop any discomfort and minimise any further damage to your teeth.