If you suffer from stress or anxiety, you may also suffer from jaw pain—the two often go hand in hand. The pain is caused by grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw during the day (and night), and you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it.
I know this because it happened to me: my partner heard my teeth grating against each other one night while I slept, and it was so annoyingly loud, it woke him up. While embarrassed, I was relieved to find out that I’m not alone in my unconscious, stress-induced teeth grinding. The occurrence is so common, it has a name: bruxism. It’s an involuntary act —and finding a solution is not as easy as you’d think.
Why am I grinding my teeth?
As mentioned, bruxism is pretty common. In fact, “it is estimated that it affects between 10 and 20% of the world’s population,” explains Dr. Simón Pardiñas López, an oral surgeon, periodontist, scientific communicator, and director at the Pardiñas Clinic. He says the main causes of bruxism are related to muscle tension produced by stress or anxiety, as well as other psychological states such as anger and frustration.
“The high pace of the life we lead triggers numerous stressful situations,” explains Dr. Nadia Sarmini, director and owner of the Bernabéu Dental Clinic, who adds that stressful situations can lead us to develop unconscious habits such as clenching our teeth or biting our nails—and they can even manifest while we’re not awake. “Having poor quality sleep as a result of stress can lead to a higher incidence of bruxism. During certain phases of sleep, the body can enter states of semi-consciousness in which motor acts, such as clenching the teeth, are more common,” explains Pardiñas.
Although stress is one of the most determining factors of this undesirable unconscious habit, it can also be caused by dental malocclusion (incorrect alignment of the teeth when biting) or other misalignment.
Day vs. night
There are two types of bruxism: daytime and nighttime. “Daytime occurs during waking hours and is usually more directly related to stress, anxiety, intense concentration, or certain postural habits,” explains Pardiñas. It usually causes jaw pain or fatigue in the muscles of the face, especially at the end of the day. “There may be less tooth wear compared to nocturnal bruxism because the person may be more aware of their behavior and able to control it.”
