The following is an excellent overview and explanation to patients of the distinction between bruxism and TMJ disorder…..from Dental Health Magazine staff – June 3, 2011
Bruxism is the medical condition which is the result of the fact that an individual grinds his/her teeth during the night. Since clenching of the teeth is an involuntary habit, it is also quite difficult to stop it.
Quite a great percentage of bruxism patients clench their teeth during the day too, not only during the night. Every person might experience clenching, grinding teeth, which might be the result of factors such as stress. In this case, the condition is temporary. But there are also a great percentage of individuals who struggle with chronic bruxism.
Several studies have proved that bruxism is a condition that affects around 10% to 50% of the population worldwide, whether on a temporary or permanent basis. Bruxism is a condition strongly linked to the subconscious; therefore it is very difficult to control it. It is important to note that the force of “biting” during the night is actually six times much stronger than during the day. This is why most of the damages in the mouth/ at the level of teeth, is done during sleep time.
Here are some of the factors that might cause bruxism:
