For practical purposes, everyone bruxes. Therefore it is not a question of whether or not you brux but what to do about it.

The term bruxism is defined as: “to grind the teeth, clenching of the teeth associated with forceful jaw movements, resulting in rubbing, gritting or grinding of the teeth, usually during sleep”. Bruxism is caused by the activation of the reflex chewing activity, a complex neuromuscular activity that is controlled by reflex nerve pathways, with higher control by the brain.

Bruxism is one of the most common sleep disorders. During sleep, the reflex is active while the higher control is inactive, resulting in bruxism. The possible signs, complications or damage that may manifest as a result of bruxing can be jaw tenderness or pain, fatigue and soreness of facial muscles, head and neck ache, sensitive and or loose teeth, breaking of teeth and receding gums.

We do need to note that such aches and pains are a functional, healthy bodily response. It’s the body’s way of saying stop bruxing or else! Some researchers say that if the occlusion (bite) of a person is not correct they will brux. Others say that it is a central nervous system disorder. Others say it is a multifaceted problem that may be associated with stress. In fact, the mouth can show stress sooner than any other part of the body.

It is now widely recognised that stress is a huge factor when it comes to bruxing. The more stress, the more bruxing, the harder the bruxing, the more complications. Theoretically, if you eliminate problems caused by the stress issues of the day, your dream work will not consist of as much problem solving.

When you are aware of the habit occurring in daytime, issues connected with grinding or clenching can be treated immediately so they don’t carry over into night time bruxing. Sleep bruxism often exerts remarkably powerful forces on teeth, gums and joints. One estimate puts it at ten times powerful enough to crack a walnut!

Problems can reoccur as a result of these forces being applied over many years and as the problems manifest slowly it can be difficult to recognise the cause/effect sequence. The good news is that Thought Field Therapy (TFT) can help to rapidly resolve not only the immediate stressful situations but also the underlying, unresolved life issues contributing to bruxism. To find out more about where to get help for bruxing using TFT see tftau.com