Bruxism and teeth clenching are common activities that can happen both during the day and at night. They are sometimes associated with periods of concentration, anger, or stress and often occur without a person being aware of it. Moreover, they can occur simultaneously as well.
The key difference between bruxism and clenching is their position. Bruxism involves moving the jaw with the teeth held together, while clenching involves holding the teeth together and tightening the jaw muscles.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Bruxism
3. What is Clenching
4. Similarities – Bruxism and Clenching
5. Bruxism vs Clenching in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Bruxism vs Clenching
7. FAQ – Bruxism and Clenching
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is also known as teeth grinding. It is a condition in which people grind, gnash, or clench their teeth. There are two types of bruxism – one is where people may unconsciously clench their teeth when they are awake (aware bruxism) and the other one is where people may clench or grind their teeth during sleep (sleep bruxism).
Signs and symptoms of this condition include teeth grinding or clenching, teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose, worn tooth enamel, increased tooth pain, tired or tight jaw muscles or locked jaw, pain that feels like an earache, dull headache, damage from chewing on the inside of the cheek, and sleep disruption. Awake bruxism is caused by emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, or tension or can be a coping strategy or a habit during deep concentration, whereas sleep bruxism is caused by sleep-related chewing activity associated with arousals during sleep.
Bruxism can be diagnosed through medical history, dental examination, and X-rays. Furthermore, bruxism can be treated through splints and mouth guards, dental correction, stress or anxiety management, behavior change, biofeedback, muscle relaxants, botox injections, and medication for anxiety or stress.
What is Clenching?
Clenching is a condition that involves holding the teeth together and tightening the jaw muscles. Clenching can be caused by different reasons, such as stress and anxiety, using caffeine before sleep, tobacco and alcohol use, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies like vitamin D and calcium, taking SSRI antidepressants, and sleep disorders. The symptoms of this condition may include jaw pain accompanied by a feeling of tightness, difficulty opening the mouth wide, tightness, and pain caused by excessive clenching, earaches, worn or loose teeth, or broken fillings.
Clenching can be diagnosed through medical history and dental examination. Furthermore, treatment options for clenching may include a relaxation therapist to teach people how to voluntarily relax their jaw muscles, as well as a sleep specialist to improve their sleep hygiene, lifestyle, and home remedies like drinking less caffeine during the day, getting more aerobic exercise during the day, getting between 30 to 60 minutes of direct sunlight each day in order to encourage a healthy circadian rhythm, avoiding screens like the phone and television two hours before going to bed and having a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends.
Similarities Between Bruxism and Clenching
- Bruxism and clenching of the teeth are common activities that can occur both during the day and at night.
- They are sometimes associated with periods of concentration, anger, or stress.
- Both occur without a person being aware of it.
- They can also occur simultaneously.
- Both can be diagnosed through dental examination.
- They can be treated through specific therapies and lifestyle changes.
Difference Between Bruxism and Clenching
Definition
- Bruxism is a condition in which people grind, gnash, or clench their teeth.
- Clenching is a condition that involves holding the teeth together and tightening the jaw muscles.
Causes
- Awake bruxism is caused by emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, or tension or can be a coping strategy or a habit during deep concentration, whereas sleep bruxism is caused by sleep-related chewing activity associated with arousals during sleep.
- Clenching is caused by stress and anxiety, using caffeine before sleep, tobacco and alcohol use, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies like vitamin D and calcium, taking SSRI antidepressants, and sleep disorders.
Symptoms
- Teeth grinding or clenching, teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose, worn tooth enamel, increased tooth pain, tired or tight jaw muscles or locked jaw, pain that feels like an earache, dull headache, damage from chewing on the inside of the cheek and sleep disruption.
- Jaw pain accompanied by a feeling of tightness, having difficulty opening the mouths wide, due to the tightness and pain caused by excessive clenching, earaches, worn or loose teeth, or broken fillings.
Diagnosis
- Bruxism is diagnosed by medical history, dental examination, and X-rays.
- Clenching is diagnosed by medical history and dental examination.
Treatment
- Treatment methods include splints and mouth guards, dental correction, stress or anxiety management, behavior change, biofeedback, muscle relaxants, botox injections, and medication for anxiety or stress.
- Treatment methods include a relaxation therapist to teach people how to voluntarily relax their jaw muscles, as well as a sleep specialist to improve their sleep hygiene, lifestyle, and home remedies like drinking less caffeine during the day, getting more aerobic exercise during the day, getting between 30 to 60 minutes of direct sunlight each day in order to encourage a healthy circadian rhythm, avoiding screens like the phone and television two hours before going to bed and having a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends.
The infographic below presents the differences between – in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Bruxism vs Clenching
Bruxism and clenching are activities related to the teeth. They both during the day and at night. Awake bruxism and sleep bruxism are two types of bruxism. In bruxism, people grind, gnash, or clench their teeth. In clenching, people hold their teeth together while tightening the jaw muscles. Thus, this summarizes the difference between bruxism and clenching.
FAQ: Bruxism and Clenching
1. How do I know if they grind (bruxism) or clench their teeth?
- Signs and symptoms of teeth grinding include headache, jaw joint and/or ear pain, aching teeth, particularly just after waking up, and aching and/or stiffness of the face and temples just after waking up.
2. Is teeth bruxism a serious problem?
- Chronic, involuntary teeth grinding is called bruxism. It can lead to all sorts of health problems, such as cracking or fracture of the teeth, which may require crowns or dental implants. People could also wear down the enamel on their teeth, leading to periodontal disease or lost teeth.
3. Why do people clench?
- One of the major causes of jaw clenching is stress and anxiety. Increased stress levels can lead to the activation of facial muscles and muscle tension in the jaw. Additionally, misaligned or crooked teeth can also contribute to clenching as well.
4. What are the three common causes of bruxism?
- Stress and anxiety.
- Sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnea.
- Taking certain medicines, including a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
5. How can people fix clenching?
- Cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and yoga, physical exercise and movement, physical therapy, and mindfulness are some methods that help fix clenching.
Reference:
1. “Taking on Teeth Grinding and Clenching.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. “Bruxism (Teeth Grinding).” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Bruxismo-wikipedia” By Propdental – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Redhead Man Clenching His Teeth and Pointing to His Temples” (CC0) via Pexels