Grinding teeth

 Unlike most adults, you do not snore. You're not sleepwalking. You do not talk in your sleep. You have the chance to escape all the unpleasant habits nighttime afflicting others. Are you sure?
 
 If you get up in the morning with a sore jaw or a headache and your teeth seem more sensitive to heat and cold, you may grinding teeth at night.
 
 Called bruxism, the grinding of teeth afflicts up to 50% of the population. If you suffer from bruxism, you tense and wry teeth during sleep. As occlusion can be up to six times stronger when you sleep, it can occur much damage if the problem is not resolved.
 
 Some effects of bruxism:
 • pain and damage gums and teeth;
 • facial muscle pain, headache and earache;
 • shortening of the teeth caused by grinding;
 • wear that makes your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold;
 • possibility of broken teeth and crack fillings caused by the pressure of grinding;
 • damage to the temporomandibular joint (ATM), the small joint that connects the lower jaw to the upper jaw for chewing and speech.
 
 If you think you grind teeth, you should see your dentist. You will probably mouthguard on as you can wear at night; this device will absorb the bulk of the pressure that would otherwise take place on your tooth.