The daily grind. People unknowingly clench, grind their teeth, causing long-term dental health problems.

Heidi Hayes is a grinder. She gnashes her teeth in her sleep and she can’t stop it.

“I noticed it after I had a baby,” Hayes said. “I was more stressed and when I woke up my jaw was really sore.”

The Post Falls resident was worried she had something wrong with her mouth. She showed her plastic retainer for her braces to her dentist and it was nearly worn out. It turns out Hayes was unconsciously grinding her teeth together while she was asleep.

“We were able to catch the problem early before any significant damage occurred,” said Alexis LaRose, dentist and owner of Kootenai Family Dental. “People are damaging their teeth without realizing it until it’s too late.”

Hayes has worn a dental night guard for about a year.

“It has helped a lot,” she said. “My jaw isn’t sore and I know I am not grinding as much as I was.”

Hayes is part of a growing demographic of people with bruxism, a condition in which a person grinds, gnashes or clenches their teeth — either during the day or while they’re asleep.

The American Dental Association doesn’t have any statistics about the prevalence of the condition and says the causes of bruxism are difficult to pinpoint. However, some dental research estimates that up to 30 percent of Americans suffer from it.

“The only time your teeth are supposed to be touching is when you are eating,” said LaRose. “Some people have ground their teeth down to nubs and they need crowns on all of their teeth to fix the problem.”

Finding the cause of the condition seems like the first step in treating it, but it’s not a simple answer.

"Some people have poor occlusion, meaning their teeth come together in a less than optimal way,” said LaRose. “Stress is another big reason. Many times, life changes will trigger the behavior in people.”

The first most obvious signs are chipped or cracked teeth, but there are other symptoms.

“Indicators include people who wake up with headaches, suffer migraines, or feel pain in their jaws or the muscles around the jaw,” LaRose said. “I look for wear patterns on the teeth and divots in the teeth right next to the gum line. Increased wear on your teeth is never a good thing. Over time, grinding and clenching can result in fractures of the teeth. This leads to more extensive dental treatments, such as crowns, root canals and even extractions.”

Recurring pain in the jaw joints is called TMD or temporomandibular disorder. A night guard can help alleviate that pain, LaRose said. She offered some basics about grinding your teeth.

Is there a way to stop grinding my teeth?

If you do it during the night time the only suggestion I would have would be to try and alleviate stress in your life. You may clench and grind less if you can do that.

If you clench or grind during the day, try to pay attention to what causes you to clench or grind. Some people do it while they read, others while they drive, others just tend to always be clenching. The best thing you can do is to try and pay attention to it and stop whenever you notice.

How do you prevent damage from grinding?

Night guards are the No. 1 way to treat clenching and grinding. I know people can be skeptical, but yes they really work. A night guard is a hard piece of plastic custom made to fit your teeth. Usually I design the guards to be worn on the top teeth, but night guards can be worn on bottom teeth as well, dependent on patient preference.

How does a night guard work?

The night guards I make are designed to open your bite up about three millimeters, which is equivalent to the diameter of two toothpicks. By doing this, you are incapable of closing down all the way, alleviating stress put on your jaw joint and muscles. Think of a nutcracker and how if you put the nut right next to the joint you can exert the greatest forces, however, if you put the nut farther out you are incapable of exerting as much force. It’s the same physics with your jaw joint. If you are opened up further it doesn’t allow your muscles to contract as much, which forces them to relax more. This in turn puts less stress on your jaw joint and less stress on your teeth.

Do mouth guards impact how I sleep?

Night guards are very comfortable. They are designed with a very thin soft layer that hugs your teeth comfortably yet snuggly so it won’t fall out while you’re sleeping. People shouldn’t worry because they are too large to swallow.

For most people, it takes a few nights to get used to having a night guard in their mouth. After that it becomes unnoticeable. Some patients have reported sleeping better because they were heavy clenchers and grinders. It gives their jaw muscles relief. Spouses can sleep better too if they have a spouse who grinds loudly.

Why can’t I just go spend a few dollars at a sporting goods store to buy a sports mouth guard?

The problem with the cheap “boil and bite” mouth guards is that they are soft and don’t always cover all your teeth. Wearing one of these guards in your sleep can actually cause your back teeth to “supraerupt” or come out farther, which can severely alter your bite, causing you to have an “open bite” or front teeth no longer coming together.

The softness of the sports mouth guard is an issue as well. Your subconscious feels this nice soft squishy thing in between your teeth while you are sleeping and says “huh, that feels nice…grind harder.” Most true grinders will grind through one of these in a couple nights. You actually will have more pain in your jaw, more pain in your muscles and increased headaches because of the stress on your jaw joint. The reality is that you’re actually grinding harder than before.

How do you clean a mouth guard?

Brush it with a toothbrush and toothpaste or a little bit of mouthwash.

How often do you need to get a new mouth guard?

Most night guards last about 10 years, but in heavy clenchers/grinders it could be much less time. But the cost is about a third the price of one crown, so if it prevents you from needing one crown it’s more than paid for itself.

You don’t need a new one until the existing one is either worn too thin so it’s not doing its job anymore or you get new dental work done and the old guard no longer fits your mouth. Some patients have broken their night guard from heavy clenching and grinding. Imagine what would have happened to their teeth without that protection.

--Written by Marc Stewart

For more information, http://www.kootenaifamilydental.com/

Marc Stewart is Director of Sponsored Content for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached at mstewart@cdapress.com or 208-664-8176, ext. 2011.