Bruxism Versus TMJ : What’s The Difference

Today I want to review the differences in bruxism and TMJ.

Bruxism, otherwise known as teeth grinding, is when a person is either grinding his teeth at night or clenching his teeth tightly together. The symptoms and signs of Bruxism are :

sore jaw in the morning
flattened teeth or wear marks
fractures in the teeth
the muscles in the jaw look larger
facial pain
head pain
the tongue and cheek may have indentations

Some people that grind their teeth don’t suffer with any of these problems,,,yet. But over time the enamel will wear down off of the teeth from the grinding and then the problems will start

TMJ problems can be caused as a result of grinding but may be from other sources as well. TMJs ( temporomandibular joint)— everyone has two and they are located on each side of your jaw right in front of your ears. When these joints malfunction because of :

trauma to the joint
bad habits such as grinding and clenching
wear on the joint from years of use
diseases such as arthritis

You may experience headaches, pain in the face and ears, the jaw may lock in an open position or it could lock in such a way that it is hard to open, clicking or popping sounds when you open and close, and you may start to have problems when chewing.

Both TMJ problems and grinding can be treated by your dentist. With TMJ, the dentist will usually go over with you on how to perform daily exercises that can help prevent problems with the joint. Anti inflammatory pain medication will also help as well as a soft food diet until the joint can recover back to normal. Bruxism can be easily treated by simply having a mouth guard made. Do not ignore either of these problems because they both will result in serious damage if not taken care of.

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