What are the Possible Causes of Bruxism?

What Causes Bruxism?

To successfully treat and prevent recurrence of bruxism we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow bruxism to develop?"

Diagnose your symptoms now!

check your overall health status
learn what you should be doing right now
identify any nutritional deficiencies

Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind bruxism consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to bruxism. Here are six possibilities:

Asthma
Calcium Need
Food Allergies
Stress
Magnesium Need
Hay Fever

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

not consuming calcium-fortified food

occasional runny nose

history of CFS diagnosis

craving for salt

paying poor attention to detail

occasional nightmares

significant diesel exhaust exposure

frequent sleepwalking

recent oily hair

frequent unexplained nausea

low alcohol consumption

much magnesium supplementation

... and more than 120 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of bruxism:

Cause	Probability	Status
Asthma	92%	Confirm
Magnesium Need	61%	Possible
Hay Fever	29%	Unlikely
Food Allergies	1%	Ruled out
Stress	0%	Ruled out
Calcium Need	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate sleeping-related problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you suffer from clenching or grinding of teeth while you sleep (Bruxism)? If you sleep with a partner, it may be worth asking them.

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Mildly - it was mentioned but I feel/see no signs
→ Moderately - I grind my teeth but no damage yet
→ Seriously - some damage to teeth
→ Severely - extensive damage to teeth

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate mild teeth grinding, teeth grinding but no damage, teeth grinding with damage or severe teeth grinding, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Allergic Rhinitis / Hay Fever

Allergy may play a role in bruxism. It is reported that bruxism is more frequent in those experiencing periods of allergic rhinitis or asthma.

Allergy to Foods (Hidden)

Hidden food allergies may contribute to the chronic clenching of teeth.

Calcium Requirement

Cheraskin & Ringsdorf (1970) studied the effects of nutritional supplements on teeth grinders or clenchers. Of these, 16 took calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), iodine, and vitamin E. When surveyed a year later, they reported that bruxism vanished. In contrast, the 15 bruxers who only took vitamins A, C, E and iodine showed no improvement. It seemed reasonable to conclude that the active agents were calcium and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

Stress

Teeth-grinding is often stress-related.

Asthma

Allergy may play a role in bruxism. It is noticed that bruxism is more frequent in those experiencing periods of allergic rhinitis or asthma.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™