How to Diagnose Nocturnal Teeth Grinding

Nocturnal teeth grinding is formally known as nocturnal bruxism and occurs during your sleep. These episodes are brief and last 8 to 9 seconds with an audible grinding noise. This type of bruxism is found in up to 20 percent of all children and is most common at ages 7 to 10. Adult nocturnal teeth grinding is common.

Instructions

• 1

  Obtain the patient's history of teeth grinding. This usually comes from someone else because the patient is normally unaware of the problem. Bruxism may be loud enough to wake a sleeping partner and has typically been present for a long time before the patient seeks treatment.

• 2

  Check for symptoms of teeth grinding. Chronic dental pain or recurring headaches are common. The severe jaw muscle contractions associated with bruxism also may cause earaches and pain or tightness in the jaw muscles. The teeth also may become sensitive to hot or cold sensations.

• 3

  Look for physical signs of teeth grinding. The chronic teeth grinding can wear down dental enamel, cause dental fractures and injure the periodontium and pulpitis. The teeth may become hypermobile and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint also is common.

• 4

  Check for psychological causes of teeth grinding. These are most common in adults and usually include anxiety, stress and tension.

• 5

  Examine physical causes of teeth grinding most often in children. It may be caused by a malocclusion of the upper and lower jaws, especially as the teeth are erupting.