Suggest Treatment For Teeth Biting During Sleep

Posted on Thu, 25 Jun 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 Answered on

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : she is suffering from teeth biting problem during sleep and mostly at night

Answered by Dr. Nishad BN (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Bruxism.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thank you for asking HCM.

I have gone through your query. Bruxism (teeth grinding) while sleeping can be caused by factors like anxiety and stress.

It is also present in obstructive sleep apnea which is a sequel of recurrent upper respiratory infections and obstruction. In such case an ENT consultation should be done to rule out and to manage it.

If you have stress it should be managed. You can do stress relaxation exercises like deep breathing exercise. Sit relaxed and take deep breaths. Repeat this a couple of time 3 to 4 times daily. If that is not helping then behavioral therapy with a psycologist will be helpful.

Alcohol and smoking can cause it also. So if you have such habit it should be discontinued.

If all these not helping then you can use a mouth guard or mouth splint while you are sleeping. This you can design by consulting your dentist.

Hope this may help you. Let me know if anything not clear.
Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar