Do you wake up to the sound of tooth on tooth? Does someone in your home grind their teeth at night, or even during the day, causing you to cringe each time? If you or someone you know is frequently gnashing teeth together, there is cause for concern. While infrequent grinding, also called bruxism, is not going to necessarily cause any harm, regular scraping of the teeth can. More serious problems within the mouth could result.

At times, this act is simply a way of unconsciously dealing with stress and anxiety. A doctor or psychiatrist can make recommendations on how to better handle that stress and avoid causing permanent damage to the teeth. However, for other teeth grinders, the action is done at night and has more to do with the layout of the teeth than anything else.

For those that chronically grind, as a result of stress or otherwise, there is help. A trained dentist can step in to produce a customized mouth guard that fits well inside the mouth and prevents grinding at night. As mentioned above, there may also be recommendations made on how to better deal with the stresses in your life. You may also want to cut back on caffeine and alcohol, which have been shown to increase the likelihood of overnight grinding. Finally, it may require some extra effort on your part to stop the habit. If you notice that you – or a loved one – is grinding teeth, then make a conscious effort to make it stop. Overtime, the body can be trained not to do it.

If you are interested and want to know more, visit http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-grinding-bruxism