Are you or your child suffering from teeth grinding while asleep or awake?
Did you know that about 40% of children aged under 11 suffer from grinding their teeth during sleep, and about 8% of adults grind their teeth.
If you happen to discover that you are grinding your teeth, or if your child is, it’s important to seek help from Dr Peter Miles, a specialist orthodontist.
Symptoms of teeth grinding
The symptoms are most relevant when you first wake up from sleep after grinding your teeth.
- Sore jaw muscles
- Stiff jaw joint
- Headache
- Earache
- Being told you grind your teeth
What are the risk factors of sleep grinding?
There are many things that can cause sleep teeth grinding, such as:
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Illicit drug use
- Anxiety and stress
- Sleep apnoea (more serious risk factor)
If you happen to suffer from grinding your teeth due to anxiety and stress, it’s important to practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and relaxation sleep apps may help.
Watch Dr Peter Miles speak about grinding teeth while asleep
If you would like more information on grinding your teeth while asleep or awake, then watch this video.