These are some of the problems caused by teeth grinding:
- Worn down or broken teeth (see Image 1)
- Teeth that are sensitive to cold air or liquids
- Waking with sore or painful chewing muscles
- Headaches
- Over developed jaw muscles
- Jaw clicking or locking
People who do not breathe well when they sleep are much more likely to grind their teeth.
But why? When sleeping, the muscles relax. If the tongue is not positioned properly, it can fall back into the airway, making it difficult to breathe.
To create more breathing space, the jaw slides, to pull the tongue out of the way. Frequent jaw sliding (grinding) can cause the above noted changes in teeth.
When there is not enough air coming in, the brain declares a state of emergency — the fight or flight response. Stress hormones and adrenaline are released. Over time, adrenaline causes chronic inflammation in tissues. Ideally, sleep is a time of repair and tissue regeneration.
But many people, even though they do sleep, are deprived of the rejuvenation of sleep, because their energy is going into just trying to stay alive and breathing.
So, even though teeth grinding by itself can cause damage, it is a sign of something much bigger. And instead of focusing solely on decreasing the effects of grinding, figuring out how to easily breathe while sleeping is a much more effective long term solution.
