An article that appeared in Time magazine cites a single study discussing the relationship of poor stress coping to increased teeth grinding. Both doctors and the scientific community have known this connection for years.
You can find the original Time Magazine article here:-
Although up to 70% of people who grind their teeth do not report having jaw pain or other TMJ disorder related symptoms, some people do experience jaw pain, and grind their teeth and recognize their difficulty in coping with stress.
The enamel (the outermost layer of our teeth) wears down in a distinct manner if you were grinding your teeth and this can be identified by your dentist. So if you recognize recent difficulty to cope with stress and you are experiencing jaw pain or headaches, talk to you dentist.
Teeth grinding as a response to stress is believed to a subconscious reflex driven by a part of our brain called the limbic system that co-ordinates all our primitive responses to stress. Cognitive Behavioral therapy and relaxation therapy through a trained health psychologist are very effective strategies to decrease the distress from the teeth grinding behavior. Unfortunately, due to the social bias regarding these treatment options, people hesitate to seek the support. But with more scientific data shedding light on the benefits of these treatment options, and with more and more health care professionals becoming aware of those benefits, patients can seek support from their dentists and doctors more readily.
So, thank you Time magazine for not feeding into popular myths but really featuring what is clearly important information that needed validation.
Teeth grinding as a response to stress is believed to a subconscious reflex driven by a part of our brain called the limbic system that co-ordinates all our primitive responses to stress. Cognitive Behavioral therapy and relaxation therapy through a trained health psychologist are very effective strategies to decrease the distress from the teeth grinding behavior. Unfortunately, due to the social bias regarding these treatment options, people hesitate to seek the support. But with more scientific data shedding light on the benefits of these treatment options, and with more and more health care professionals becoming aware of those benefits, patients can seek support from their dentists and doctors more readily.
So, thank you Time magazine for not feeding into popular myths but really featuring what is clearly important information that needed validation.
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