Have you ever had a dream where someone is chasing you down the street and you are trying your best to stay alive? Have you ever had a stressful dream where you were almost hit by a car or forgot to do your homework? Well, I have and I know that others have had similar dreams where stress is the bi-product of our subconscious.
During these stressful nocturnal moments, your jaws are clenching and your teeth are grinding to the point where if you were awake you would be in absolute pain!
My point is that many of us clench and grind our teeth at night without even knowing it. Our brains, naturally, go through a natural neuromuscular process which tells our jaws to bite down from time to time during our sleep. Although it is a natural process, it can be detrimental to our teeth and muscles of our head and neck.
So how does it affect our teeth?
Grinding and clenching can be detrimental to our teeth. First of all, our enamel is our first defense for our teeth. Grinding will erode the enamel and expose the dentin, which is the second layer of protection. This can lead to sensitivity, shorter teeth, and even fractured teeth. So check out your teeth in the mirror, most of the time if you bite "end to end" you can your teeth fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. You can see exactly how you are grinding your teeth when you're least conscious.
How does clenching affect our jaws and muscles?
Imagine taking a barbell weight, curling it, and holding it for hours long. I'm pretty sure you would be in extreme pain and fatigue for the next few days! The same thing happens with our jaws. We have different muscles like the masseter, temporalis, and pterygoid muscles which all function in the movement of the jaw. After clenching all night, your muscles tighten and go through a muscle spasm. Our jaws are not meant to be "bodybuilders," but in our stressful society many of us have jaws that can load as much pressure as Ronnie Coleman can curl (he is world class bodybuilder for those who have never heard of him)! This in turn leads to tension headaches, migraines, and an uneven bite, and lower quality of life.
How do I prevent this?
Night guards and other sleep appliances are used to keep your teeth from contacting at night. Instead of grinding on your teeth, you would grind on the acrylic. Other devices such as the NTI are better for headaches. Devices like the NTI will shut down some of the muscles in the jaw area to decrease the muscle spasms.
Where can I get this?
The best way to get a custom sleep appliance is through you local dentist. He will make sure that accurate models of your teeth are made so you can comfortably sleep without causing the trauma to your teeth and jaws.
Robert Kim DDS
www.aviondental.com
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