Bruxism is a painful condition that affects 18% of the population and is often untreated. Most people probably grind and clench their teeth from time to time and may not need any treatment.
But when teeth grinding and clenching is occurring more frequently, it can damage the teeth and cause unwanted symptoms. People suffering from this condition are often unaware of its existence because the involuntary teeth grinding and clenching usually occurs at night when they are asleep (sleep bruxism) or subconsciously during the day (awake Bruxism)
Bruxism doesn’t have one definite cause. Most often, the cause of Bruxism from one person to the next differs. For example, Bruxism is often linked to stress, whereby some people will clench their teeth when anxious, angry, or stressed. There has been a steep rise in Bruxism during the Covid 19 Pandemic due to all the additional stress.
Sleep Bruxism is sometimes attributed to sleeping disorders or genetics, which means it may run in the family. Other probable causes of Bruxism include medication side effects, malocclusion, but further research is needed to understand the possible causes of Bruxism better.
Medication associated with Bruxism includes antipsychotics and Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitors. A recent study shows it most commonly associated with Fluoxetine, Venlafaxine and Sertraline. It typically starts around 3-4 weeks after medication.