Coincidentally I find a subject that I suffered in my own flesh during pregnancy, which I blamed on my nerves and that I did not know was a disorder with my own name. Bruxism is the involuntary habit of tightening or grinding dental structures, which can occur in stress situations.
This disorder affects between 10% and 20% of the population (many do not know it) and can lead to headache and muscles of the jaw, neck and ear. It is usually nocturnal, when we do not realize this “tic”.
It happened to me a lot during pregnancy (occasionally it still happens to me), sometimes I realized, since it usually occurs in the early stages of sleep, when it is lighter. I woke up from the pressure and the sound my teeth made or my husband woke me up (something worried at first).
Causes of bruxism
The triggers of this unconscious clenching and grinding of the teeth are multiple, mainly stressful situations, which I imagine will make it not uncommon during pregnancy (especially in the last trimester) or, according to other testimonies, with small babies.
If we feel discomfort and pain in the gums, teeth or muscles of the oral region upon waking in the morning, it could be due to bruxism without knowing it. Dental wear is another consequence of bruxism.
At present there is no consensus on its ethylogy or causes of bruxism, but they can be mentioned as factors: stress, anxiety, depression in addition to poor body posture. Parasitosis is also related to the clenching and grinding of compulsive teeth.
Regarding the most accepted trigger, that of anxiety, the explanation for clenching and grinding of the teeth is that when the patient is in a state of stress he experiences anxiety and nervousness causing a somatic state of muscle tension body that becomes widespread.
The accumulated muscular tension is released through many means and one of them would be the rubbing or clenching of the teeth.
Symptoms of bruxism
This disorder may be transient or infrequent, so it is not worrisome. But if bruxism persists, it can cause dental deterioration. Between the symptoms that accompany bruxism can be found:
- Dental grinding, severe or very noisy that occurs during sleep.
- Jaws tight.
- Jaw pain or earache (caused by violent contractions of the jaw muscles).
- Face or head pain.
- Abnormal dental alignment
- Muscle contraction in the jaw.
- Anxiety, stress and tension.
- Personality that suppresses anger.
Bruxism is a disorder that can also occur after childbirth and in childhood. The intensity and duration can be very variable. It is believed that hundreds of events can occur during one night, although, as we have said, they are more frequent in the early stages of sleep.
Bruxism Treatment
There is no known effective drug treatment for bruxism. As we have seen, the origin of bruxism can be diverse, but the trigger will always be a state of anxiety and the only non-medicated treatment for anxiety is relaxation.
To try to improve the situation it is recommended to do relaxation exercises, and we can consult the gynecologist the possibility of taking some relaxing infusion.
Aromatherapy, classical music, massages ... are other relaxation techniques that may help reduce episodes of bruxism.
In short, sduring pregnancy you clench and grind your teeth frequently and unconsciously, it is due to the bruxism that is probably derived from the anxiety situation that the future mother suffers throughout pregnancy, especially in the last trimester.
