Causes of grinding teeth
introduction
For grinding teeth, too Bruxism called, it is about the unconscious clenching or grinding of the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. The disease becomes the group of Parafunctions calculated, including various forms of overuse of the teeth, jaw joints and the surrounding masticatory muscles.
The crunch occurs mostly during sleep during the night; but it can also occur in more or less pronounced forms during the day.
Read more on the topic: Grinding teeth at night
In addition to considerable psychological and physical stress, the causes are a disproportion in the clenching between the teeth of the upper and lower jaw (occlusion). Is this through e.g. If malformed teeth are changed or disturbed, teeth grinding can occur. The treatment is very complex and, in addition to dental treatment, requires the interaction of several medical specialties, such as physiotherapy or psychotherapy.
Read more on the topic: Therapeutic approaches for grinding teeth
causes
The causes of teeth grinding are varied.
In addition to a disturbed occlusion, strong psychological and physical stress, incorrectly acquired movement patterns in the jaw and temporomandibular joints over the years can also be seen as the cause.
Frequently, however, the occurrence of teeth grinding is accompanied by severe emotional and nervous stress. These are processed by the brain during sleep and lead to the upper and lower rows of teeth being pressed together.
Orthopedic problems, especially in the head, neck and spinal column area, can lead to incorrect occlusion of the upper and lower teeth. This results in increased, incorrect stress on the surrounding masticatory muscles and jaw joints.
Mental causes
The psychological causes include:
- strong emotional and mental tension,
- private and professional stress,
- depressions
- and anxiety.
All of these aspects are processed in sleep during the night.
Constant, extreme stimuli from the environment such as Constant noise leads to increased physical tension in the form of stress. During the day, strong pressure to perform at work, aggressive behavior, irregular or no breaks, constant pressure of deadlines can also be causes of teeth grinding
Drugs
Drugs, as well as the substances caffeine, nicotine or alcohol have a major influence on our nerve functions.
The active ingredients of drugs can cause a wide variety of processes in our body to become over- or under-functional.
These physical changes can have a significant impact on the functions of our jaws and jaw joints. Thus, drug use can be seen as a possible cause of bruxism.
Causes in Children
In children and toddlers, teeth grinding up to the age of three is a completely normal phenomenon and is part of their development.
As soon as the first milk teeth appear, children and toddlers start using them. As a result, the chewing surfaces of the upper and lower teeth are abraded against each other in order to achieve optimal occlusion of the child's teeth. The grinding and clenching of the teeth usually stops on its own and therefore does not require any treatment. Nevertheless, there are also forms of pathological teeth grinding in children.
Missing or growing teeth as well as misalignment or misalignment of milk teeth are some of the causes.
At the same time, the mental state of children should also be taken into account.
Children who talk or salivate very often in their sleep and only want to sleep with the lights on can develop bruxism. All of these are signs of increased insecurity and increased inner restlessness. Therefore one should observe the sleeping behavior of his child with these symptoms and change it if necessary, so that acquired behavior patterns are broken.
A possible inheritance of teeth grinding from parents to children has not yet been adequately clarified.
worms
Childish worm diseases or a general worm disease can also trigger teeth grinding. The most common pathogens that occur in children are the so-called oxyurs. Infection occurs through the mouth when the eggs are ingested.
The larvae then hatch in the small intestine and migrate from there to the large intestine. Here they develop the central symptom of the disease, the itching. Due to the constant itching, our body gets into an acute stress reaction. Thus, an acute worm disease can also be a short-term trigger for teeth grinding.
