Vitamin Deficiency and Teeth Grinding

Vitamin Deficiency and Teeth Grinding

Leah Adele, ABA Therapist Leah Adele, ABA Therapist
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WHAT TO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VITAMIN DEFICIENCY AND TEETH GRINDING

WHAT IS TEETH GRINIDNG?

 

Teeth grinding, or bruxism (BRUK-siz-um) is a condition in which a person grinds, gnashes, or clenches their teeth. If you have bruxism, it is possible that you may unconsciously clench your teeth either when you are awake (awake bruxism) or clench and grind them in your sleep (sleep bruxism). Awake bruxism is when you clench your jaw and grind your teeth during the day. This type of bruxism is usually tied to emotion issues. For example, feeling anxious, stressed, or angry can lead to teeth grinding. Sleep bruxism may be more damaging than awake bruxism as you may not be aware that it is happening, and not get the help you need in a timely manner. Bruxism affects more than thirty million Americans, including three out of every ten children. The prevalence rate of awake bruxism is 22-31% of adults, while the prevalence rate of sleep bruxism is 9-16% in adults.

  

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TEETH GRINDING?

 

Because bruxism often occurs while you sleep, most people are unaware that they grind their teeth. However, a constant headache or sore jaw when you wake up is a symptom if bruxism. These headaches start from the temples or include pain that feels like an earache.

 

Those who grind their teeth frequently may notice that some of their teeth have become flattened, fractured, chipped, or loose. Teeth clenching while you are asleep can use up to 250 pounds of force, causing jaw pain. Sleep disruption may occur as those who grind their teeth in their sleep may be awoken by this grinding.

 

VITAMIN DEFICIENCY AND TEETH GRINDING

 

It is possible that stress, sleep disorders, crooked teeth, or missing teeth may cause teeth grinding. It is also possible that having an abnormal bite, where the upper and lower teeth do not meet may also lead to teeth grinding. There are also several risk factors that may increase your risk of bruxism. One of the main risk factors that may increase your risk of bruxism is stress. Increased stress, anxiety, or frustration can lead to teeth grinding.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is important for combating stress. Having a vitamin deficiency, such as calcium or magnesium, may also be linked to teeth grinding. This is a reason as to why it is necessary to follow a well-balanced, nutritious diet, as well as to take vitamin supplements if needed. In studies surrounding nutrition deficits and sleep bruxism, a correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk to sleep bruxism. Sufficient vitamin D and calcium concentrations are required for regulating the nervous system, as well as muscular function including the jaw muscle contraction. This increased risk was also found to be caused by a low consumption of calcium and increased scores of anxiety and depression. Vitamin D and calcium also play vital functions in sustaining mental health. Low vitamin D has been reported to be associated with psychological symptoms including stress and anxiety. Without enough calcium, muscles have a difficult time relaxing. The best sources of dietary calcium include vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits. Calcium and vitamin D can lower anxiety and body tension due to stress.

It is also believed that stress depletes your stores of vitamin C. Healthy young adults who take a high dose of vitamin C have lower blood pressure.

 

Magnesium is needed for general muscle health as well as nerve function. Levels of magnesium may plummet when you’re under a great deal of stress. Taking supplements containing magnesium may help reduce anxiety and stress symptoms.

HOW TO STOP JAW CLENCHING AND TEETH GRINDING

 

If you aren’t eating a varied diet of foods that are rich in vitamin D, this is the only nutrient your body produces when exposed to sunlight. However, over 40% of U.S. residents are deficient in vitamin D. Foods that are high in vitamin D include salmon, eggs, milk, and oatmeal.

 

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF TEETH GRINDING?

 

If left untreated, it is possible that teeth grinding may lead to permanent damage to the teeth. Bruxism may also cause headaches or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. The disorders that may occur in the temporomandibular joints, located just in front of your ears may sound like clicking when you open and close your mouth. It may also lead to jaw disorders, or headaches. In severe cases, bruxism may lead to damage to the crowns or restorations on your teeth. Usually, patients seek treatments when the pain spreads to a person’s temples or ears.

 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CUSTOM TEETH NIGHT GUARDS

 

Wearing a custom-made teeth night guard is an excellent solution to protect your teeth from the harmful, and possibly permanent, effects of teeth grinding.

 

For over fifteen years, our mission at TeethNightGuard.com is to create top quality custom teeth night guards at price points that are affordable to our customers. Our night guards reduce the discomfort caused by teeth grinding, as well as prevent the harmful effects. Our wide range of clients include those why suffer from occasional teeth grinding, jaw clenching, or show symptoms of temporomandibular joint pain.

 

HOW CUSTOM TEETH NIGHT GUARDS ARE MADE

 

At Teeth Night Guard, we believe that each one of our customers and the symptoms that they experience are unique and deserve special and individualized attention and care. Each one of our night guards is made by a dental technician to ensure that are guards are top quality and achieve a perfect and comfortable custom fit. By making each custom teeth grinding mouth guard, we offer our customers the opportunity to select among several different guards, based on their needs and the severity of their teeth grinding or teeth clenching.

 

With a history of thousands of satisfied customers over the course of over fifteen years, we use the highest quality materials and advanced laboratory techniques. We have designed the impression process to be done from your own home. This teeth impression process is designed to take no more than five minutes and we’ll do the rest.

References

 

Bruxism: Teeth Grinding, Night Guard, Jaw Clenching, Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10955-teeth-grinding-bruxism.

EM;, A. M. J. H. Z. L. A.-R. K. K. A. (2021). Self-reported sleep bruxism is associated with vitamin D deficiency and low dietary calcium intake: a case-control study. BMC oral health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33413308/.

Teeth Grinding: Why You Do It and How to Fix It. Cedars. (2020, January). https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/teeth-grinding.html.

WebMD. (2019). Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Causes and Treatments. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-grinding-bruxism.

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