Bruxism or teeth grinding can be innocuous at times; at other times, it causes jaw pain, TMJ disorders, and poor sleep. Teeth grinding is very common in children and may be related to the growth and development of teeth and jaws. Most commonly, teeth grinding is not related to any underlying illness or condition.

There can be other causes of teeth grinding, such as stress, psychiatric illness, sleep disorders, medications, movement disorders, and pain conditions of the jaw. Alcohol, smoking, and caffeine have also been associated with increased bruxism. In the 1960s, studies found that changing one’s bite stopped teeth grinding, but in a few years, it was shown that teeth grinding stopped only temporarily, and malocclusion or teeth relation did not have much influence over teeth grinding.

Symptoms of teeth grinding range from gritting sounds, chipped teeth, joint sounds, poor sleep, morning headaches, TMJ pain, and neck pain. Treatments include a mouthguard, exercise, meditation and other relaxation treatments, Botulinum toxin, Acupuncture, and rarely, medications. Having the right diagnosis and understanding of the sufferer is very important for the right treatment strategy! (Reference: Pubmed)

In the 1960s, some journals showed improvement in bruxism after bite adjustment. Later, it was proved that the improvement is temporary and there does not seem to be a cause-and-effect relationship between malocclusion (any specific type of bite) and bruxism. While there are some patients whose bruxism gets better with changes to their bite (by crowns, implants, or occlusal adjustment), most patients exhibit worsening of their bruxism or pain. Any improvement is due to chance.