• Grinding or clenching your teeth, which could wake your partner or family
• Sleep disruption
• Teeth becoming flat, cracked, chipped or loose
• Enamel wear, exposing deeper layers of the tooth
• Increased tooth pain or sensitivity
• Fatigue or tense jaw muscles, or difficulty opening or closing the jaw fully
• Soreness in jaw, neck, or face
• No ear disease but feeling earache
• Dull headache near the temples
• Injuries on both sides of the mouth caused by chewing

The medical community is not entirely certain what causes bruxism, but a combination of genetic, psychological, and physical factors may be involved.

Anxiety, tension, anger, depression, or nervousness are all possible causes of awake bruxism. It can also develop as a habit during times of high focus. Sleep bruxism may be a sleep-related chewing activity associated with arousal during sleep.

The following risk factors can increase the chance of developing bruxism:

• Stress
• Age
• Medications: Bruxism may be a side effect of certain psychiatric medications (such as some antidepressants), but this is uncommon.
• Smoking, drinking caffeinated beverages, or drinking alcohol
• A family member suffering from bruxism
• Other medical conditions: Bruxism may be associated with certain mental or physical health problems, such as Parkinson's disease, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), epilepsy, sleep disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Most of the time, bruxism does not result in major side effects; but severe bruxism can lead to:

• damage teeth
• tension type headache

In common cases, bruxism does not require treatment. Most cases in children do not require treatment and outgrow bruxism as they grow older; while in adults, most cases of teeth grinding or clenching are not serious enough to require treatment.

If bruxism is severe, you may choose to consult with your dentist, who may recommend methods to protect or straighten your teeth, including dental treatments and medications to prevent further tooth damage and relieve jaw pain or discomfort. While these methods can prevent or correct tooth wear, they may not stop bruxism.

Typically, medications used to treat bruxism include:

• Muscle relaxant medications: In some cases, doctors may recommend taking muscle relaxant medications at bedtime for a short period of time.
• Botulinum toxin: Botulinum toxin injections (e.g., Botox, Xeomin) can help some patients with severe bruxism who have not responded to other treatments.
• Medications to treat anxiety or stress: If bruxism is caused by stress, your doctor may recommend taking antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications to help you cope with stress or other emotional issues that may be causing bruxism.

Other methods

• Stress or Anxiety Management: If stress is the cause of bruxism, you can prevent teeth grinding through relaxing activities such as meditation.
• Improve sleep: If sleep is the cause of bruxism, treatment of sleep-related conditions, such as sleep apnea, may improve sleep bruxism.
• Oral Correction: If you find that you have bruxism, you can improve your behaviour by practising correct mouth and jaw positioning. You can talk to your dentist about the condition of your mouth and jaw.
• Change your medication prescription: If bruxism is caused by a side effect of certain medications, your doctor may change your medication or prescribe you another medication.

• Reduce stress. : Listening to music, taking a hot bath, or exercising can help you relax.
• Avoid irritating substances at night. Don't drink caffeinated coffee or caffeinated tea after dinner, and don't drink alcohol in the evening.
• Develop good sleep habits. A good night's rest can help reduce bruxism.
• Communicate with your bed partner. If you have a bed partner, ask him or her to pay attention to any grinding or clicking sounds you may make while sleeping so you can report them to your doctor.