Teeth grinding or bruxism is an extremely common and perplexing medical disorder.

Teeth grinding or bruxism is an extremely common and perplexing medical disorder. On rare occasion this problem is caused by improper alignment of upper and lower teeth or as a side effect of certain antidepressant medications. Unfortunately, more often than not no dental abnormalities are present to explain teeth grinding at night. Left untreated teeth grinding can lead to a host of chronic medical and dental problems. So how can you stop teeth grinding at night?

Teeth grinding seems to be a manifestation of underlying frustration, stress or anger. In addition individuals with hard-driving "type A" personalities seem to be a greater risk for teeth grinding at night. Alleviating stress and anxiety by incorporating daily exercise, yoga or meditation can go a long way towards stopping teeth grinding at night. Even an activity as trivial as an evening walk can be therapeutic if done regularly.

Avoid evening alcohol or caffeine. Both of these substances can adversely effect sleep cycles and theoretically worsen teeth grinding.

If simple lifestyle changes are ineffective consider seeing a mental health counselor who can help to identify the issues that may be provoking your anger or tension. The two of you can then work towards developing a program specifically designed to control the underlying stressors which trigger your teeth grinding at night. Biofeedback techniques have shown some success in helping to stop teeth grinding at night.

See your dentist for guidance. By examining your teeth for evidence of unusual wear, trauma or sensitivity your dentist can determine if improperly aligned teeth or a malocclusion are causing you to grind them at night. Correcting misaligned teeth through restorative dentistry can be helpful but very expensive.

If no structural problems are found then your dentist can produce and fit you with a nocturnal prosthetic splint designed to stop teeth grinding at night. The splints are usually constructed of acrylic and fit over the tops of the teeth to stop teeth grinding.

Your dentist may suggest a less expensive substitute such as a mouth-guard which can be purchased in a drugstore. It tends to fit less well than a nocturnal splint and can dislodge while you sleep.

Botox injections have demonstrated modest though temporary efficacy at stopping teeth grinding at night. Botox is injected into the muscle responsible for moving the mandible typically by a neurologist. The injections are very expensive and the effect usually lasts 10 to 12 weeks. Botox injections do not cure teeth grinding so it should be used as an adjunct to a more comprehensive program focused on stopping teeth grinding.

* Check with your medical doctor to make sure your teeth grinding is not related to an undiagnosed sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.
* Individuals with obsessive compulsive disorders have a high incidence of evening teeth grinding.
* Some authorities suggest that calcium, magnesium and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supplementation may help to stop teeth grinding at night; however, no scientific studies support this claim.