Grinding Your Teeth

(HealthDay News) -- Bruxism -- the term for grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw -- occurs most often while a person is asleep.

One of the most common causes is stress, the American Dental Association says, but other factors can include sleep disorders, poor jaw or bite alignment, or poor tooth alignment.

It may be difficult to know if you are grinding or clenching your teeth in your sleep, but symptoms of bruxism can include headaches, jaw pain, or painful or loose teeth.

Bruxism is typically treated with a mouth guard -- fitted by your dentist -- to protect the teeth from grinding against each other. If stress is the root cause, you may also benefit from physical therapy, muscle relaxants or counseling.

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