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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffBruxism is a condition in which you grind, gnash or clench your teeth. If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously clench your teeth together during the day or grind them at night, which is called sleep bruxism.
Bruxism may be mild and may not even require treatment. However, it can be frequent and severe enough to lead to jaw disorders, headaches, damaged teeth and other problems. Because you may have sleep bruxism and be unaware of it until complications develop, it's important to know the signs and symptoms of bruxism and to seek regular dental care.
- What is bruxism? Academy of General Dentistry. http://www.knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=w&iid=292&aid=1137. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- ADA Division of Communications. For the dental patient...do you grind your teeth? Journal of the American Dental Association. 2005;136:559.
- Lobbezoo F. Principles for the management of bruxism. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2008;35:509.
- Huynh N. Weighing the potential effectiveness of various treatments for sleep bruxism. Journal of the Canadian Dental Association. 2007;73:727.
- Policy on oral habits. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Policy on oral habits. Chicago, IL.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/P_OralHabits.pdf#xml=http://pr-dtsearch001.americaneagle.com/service/search.asp?cmd=pdfhits&DocId=58&Index=F%3a%5cdtSearch%5caapd%2eorg&HitCount=12&hits=46+5f+ac+f8+104+109+28d+2fc+315+32c+38e+3a3+&hc=49&req=bruxism. Accessed March 10, 2009.
- Aloe F. Sleep bruxism treatment. Sleep Science. 2009;2:49.
- Lavigne GJ, et al. Sleep bruxism. In: Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.:Elsevier Saunders; 2005:946.
- Lavigne GJ, et al. Bruxism physiology and pathology: An overview for clinicians. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2008;35:476.
- Klasser GD, et al. Oral appliances in the management of temporomandibular disorders. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontics. 2009;107(2):214.
