HEALTHY LIVING
due to interrupted sleep. Schwartz says a properly trained dentist looks for: Wear on the teeth and fi ne crack lines White lesions (frictional keratosis) in the mouth caused by unconsciously chewing on inner cheek tissue Tooth mark indentations in the tongue from pressing it against teeth “These are the three cardinal points
of bruxism that you can see,” says Schwartz.
The Harmful Eff ects of Teeth Grinding
What you should know about this underdiagnosed health threat. ::
BY GARY GREENBERG T
wo often overlooked sources of health problems are sleep and dental issues. Teeth grinding at night
bridges the two, and this condition may be even more insidious than hidden threats like sleep apnea and gum disease because it fl ies even further under the radar. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is
generally considered to be more of a pediatric problem, aff ecting about 30% of kids. But a growing number of experts believe bruxism is woefully underdiagnosed in adults, leading to abnormally worn teeth, jaw pain, interrupted sleep, and many other potential problems.
in practice for more than 50 years, believes that almost all adults suff er from bruxism — but don’t realize it. “I’d say more than 90% of Americans grind their teeth,” he declares. “I see it every day. The problem is it’s not being diagnosed properly. There’s a specifi c way to diagnose it, and most dentists miss it.” Bruxism is an involuntary gnashing
SCHWARTZ
of the top row of teeth against the bottom row. It most commonly happens during sleep. If it goes undiagnosed, it can lead directly to tooth and jaw problems and contribute to other maladies, such as headaches and sleep- related issues. “Nerve endings called
“Epidemiologists in a cross section
of studies say the number of adults who grind their teeth at night is 10%, but many just live with it until someone recognizes it or some disabling pain occurs,” says Abhinav Singh, M.D., director of the Indiana Sleep Center. “So, it probably is more common than what the numbers tell us.” Wolf Schwartz, a dentist based in Boca Raton, Florida, who’s been
82 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | APRIL 2023
proprioceptors, which measure how much pressure you put on your teeth, go to sleep when you go to sleep,” explains Schwartz. “Normal bite pressure is 125 pounds per square inch. When you grind during sleep, it’s 500 pounds per square inch.”
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Some of the more overt signs of bruxism are tooth and jaw pain, headaches, sensitive teeth, grinding noises at night, and daytime fatigue
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT Treatment of bruxism is often as simple as wearing a night guard, a dental appliance that provides a cushion between the upper and lower teeth. While self-fi tted night guards are available over the counter, Schwartz strongly recommends having a dentist customize one to prevent a misaligned fi t that could cause other problems. In more serious cases where the
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is damaged by chronic grinding, a temporary dental device called a bite plane is used to separate top and bottom teeth to relax jaw muscles, along with muscle relaxants, anti- infl ammatory drugs, and even Botox injections. Like virtually all medical problems,
it’s important to identify the cause of bruxism along with treating the symptoms. But that may be more easily said than done. “You have to seek out where
you’re getting this from,” Singh, a consultant for the Sleep Foundation and author of the forthcoming book Sleep to Heal, tells Newsmax. “Usually, it’s a secondary problem like a sleep disorder, medication side eff ect, neurological issue, stressful environment, or even acid refl ux.” Schwartz believes that most cases of
bruxism are caused by stress. “Stress is not an easy thing to treat,
and you can’t just will it away,” he says. “It needs to be recognized and dealt with through meditation, exercise, behavioral therapies, and medication when necessary.”
MKARCO/SHUTTERSTOCK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
