Teeth grinding is one of the most common problems among children. However, it is not exclusively among children, as about 20 % of the adults in US are also suffering from it. It has been seen that people usually grind, gnash or clench the teeth during sleep at night but many of them are in a habit of grinding teeth even in the day.

The medical term for grinding or gnashing the teeth or Clenching of Jaw is ‘Bruxism’ and it includes biting of fingernails, pencils or chewing the inner side of cheeks. Children, generally, stop this clenching as soon as they get their permanent teeth. Both men and women are equally affected by the teeth grinding but it has been seen that the number of women suffering from jaw clenching is slightly more than their male counterparts. This grinding of teeth and clenching of jaw affects the dental health of the person very badly.

The grinding of teeth and clenching of jaw are a part of the TMJ disorders. TMJ disorder stands for the pain in temporomandibular, or in simpler words, pain in joint of the jaw.

The clenching of jaw or grinding of the teeth can result from stress, suppressed anger, frustration or anxiety. If the person has some serious sleeping disorder, then also it can further cause TMJ disorders. It can also be caused due to excessive alcohol, smoking or allergies.

It has been observed that mostly hyperactive, over-competitive and aggressive personalities are affected by it. Bruxism and TMJ disorder can have a devastating effect on our teeth and mouth. They can damage the gums; wear down the teeth, facture the jaw and facial muscles, soreness of the mouth or cheeks, ear pains, headaches, fatigue, difficulty in chewing, significant tooth loss and consequently bad oral health.

Sometimes, the structuring of the baby teeth is also responsible for Teeth grinding, Jaw Clenching and other TMJ disorders, as the children do not feel comfortable due to the irregular fitting of their teeth, which make them brux, i.e. grind their teeth and clench their jaw leading to the pain in the TMJ.