Teeth grinding (also called bruxism) can exert hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch on the surfaces of teeth. Grinding is attributed to many things such as stress/tension, medications, or even an unconscious effort to correct irregularities of the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Most individuals who grind experience symptoms such as discomfort in the jaw joint or ear, recession or shrinking of the gums, increased discomfort to cold and sweets, frequent headaches on the sides of the head, neck pain, and a general ache of the teeth. If you have this nightly grinding problem, your first stop should be your dentist’s office… before you do any serious damage to your teeth.
The TMJ–Temporomandibular Joint– is right in front of each ear and is where the lower jaw (mandible) hinges to the skull (temporal) bone on each side. This joint anatomy, the muscles used to chew, and the way the teeth contact each other when biting can all contribute to dysfunction with the TMJ. Pain upon chewing, discomfort in the face, head, neck and back, as well as ringing in the ears are all symptoms of TMJ dysfunction.
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