Tooth Sensitivity And Teeth Grinding: How Bruxism Affects Sensitivity

When eating hot or cold foods, do you deal with sensitive teeth that cause pain? You may be grinding or clenching your teeth without realising it. This common condition, bruxism, can gradually damage tooth enamel and expose sensitive nerves. Keep reading to understand the link between bruxism and tooth sensitivity, the causes, and potential treatments to help you find relief.

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism refers to excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. It typically happens involuntarily while you sleep, but some people also have issues with daytime teeth grinding. People often grind or clench their teeth as a response to stress or anxiety. It can become a habitual behaviour that is challenging to stop.

Bruxism can lead to extensive tooth wear, damage to dental work like crowns or fillings, jaw pain and soreness, tension headaches, and increased tooth sensitivity and pain. The chronic grinding forces applied to the teeth put pressure on the ligaments around tooth roots and can progressively damage the protective tooth enamel. Moreover, getting a tooth sensitivity remedy would be a great option for you.

What Causes Tooth Sensitivity?

Tooth sensitivity, or dentin hypersensitivity, occurs when the dentin layer of your teeth gets exposed. The dentin has small tubules that lead directly to the nerve endings in your tooth roots. 

When the outer protective enamel layer gets worn down from acidic foods, abrasive brushing habits, receding gums,tooth grinding, or gum disease, these sensitive tubules become exposed to external stimuli. Hot, cold, acidic, sticky, or sugary foods, brushing too hard, and extreme temperatures can then stimulate the nerve endings inside the tubules - causing sharp tooth sensitivity or pain.

The Link Between Bruxism and Tooth Sensitivity

The excessive grinding forces put on teeth during sleep or waking bruxism wears down the protective tooth enamel. Thinner enamel means the sensitive underlying dentin gets more exposed and vulnerable to pain triggers. 

Additionally, the pressure on teeth while clenching or grinding can inflame and irritate the ligaments around tooth roots. Inflamed ligaments become more sensitive, making teeth react to hot or cold stimuli.  

The longer someone grinds their teeth, the worse the enamel damage and sensitivity. That’s why it’s essential to address bruxism through preventative nightguards and stress management before teeth become debilitatingly sensitive.

What Treatments Can Relieve Tooth Sensitivity?

If you already suffer from bruxism-related tooth sensitivity, don’t panic. There are several ways to get the pain and discomfort under control while also protecting your teeth from further wear:

1. Desensitising Toothpaste

Special toothpaste for sensitive teeth contains active ingredients like strontium chloride, stannous fluoride, or potassium nitrate. These ingredients help numb, and block pain signals from the nerve endings inside your dentin tubules when your teeth encounter triggers. For the best relief, use a desensitising toothpaste, like Dabur Red Paste daily.

2. Professional Fluoride Treatments

Getting a fluoride varnish or gel treatment professionally applied 2-4 times per year can help strengthen enamel and reduce sensitivity. Fluoride helps remineralize tooth surfaces, making the enamel less permeable and porous. It may gradually reduce sensitivity and improve defences against bruxism damage.

3. Dentin Sealing & Bonding

If parts of your dentin roots have severe sensitivity from receding gums and erosion, a dentist can apply sealants and bonding agents to the roots’ exposed surfaces. These dental materials act as a barrier and “seal” the dentin tubules to block external stimuli from reaching the nerve endings underneath. Dentists also suggest sensitivity treatment for major issues.

4. Nightguards

Wearing a custom nightguard while you sleep is vital for preventing bruxism from worsening and enabling sensitive teeth to heal. These plastic dental appliances protect the teeth, absorb grinding forces, and help relax jaw muscles. Nightguards play a critical role in managing progressive cases of tooth sensitivity caused by enamel wear and gum recession.

5. Medications

For some people, anti-anxiety medications or muscle relaxants may temporarily alleviate severe bruxism during flare-ups. Reducing teeth grinding incidences at night allows inflamed nerves time to calm down and sensitive teeth a chance to recover. However, medication only treats the symptoms rather than the root causes of bruxism.

6. Oral Appliances & Botox Injections

In moderate-to-severe bruxism cases, a dentist may fit an oral appliance device that gently moves the jaws into an ideal position or inject Botox into mastication muscles to paralyse grinding ability. However, these therapies require ongoing adjustment and maintenance for sustained efficacy.

7. Stress Management

Since stress and anxiety often influence teeth-grinding and clenching behaviours, establishing better sleep habits, exercising, meditating, pursuing hobbies, and speaking to a therapist can all help minimise flare-ups. Addressing the role of lifestyle factors and mental health in your bruxism gives sensitive teeth the best chance at rebounding.

8. Seek Help from Sensitivity Dentistry Experts

If over-the-counter relief options fail to resolve tooth sensitivity or bruxism symptoms long-term, consulting a dentist experienced in sensitivity treatment is wise. They can pinpoint the sensitivity causes with diagnostic tests, recommend advanced treatments like gum grafts or dental fillings, and customise an oral health management plan for your situation. With professional guidance, most cases of tooth sensitivity can improve considerably.

The Bottom Line

Bruxism can substantially impact tooth sensitivity over time due to the constant enamel grinding and inflammation placed on teeth and surrounding tissues. Fortunately, treatments are available to alleviate short-term discomfort while minimising the progression of sensitivity in the long term. Preventative nightguards, strengthening enamel defences, opting for good toothpaste like Dabur Red Paste, addressing mental health triggers, and seeking professional dental care can help overcome this oral health complication. Pay attention to your teeth-grinding habits and sensitivity symptoms and take action when necessary.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and not a substitute for medical advice.