However, as the headaches persisted, so too did pains in front of her ears, nagging backache and insomnia. Moreover, bits of teeth and fillings began to chip into her mouth, and the porcelain fractured off a crown. On consulting her dentist, the nurse was informed she was a 'terrible' tooth-grinder. Her unconscious habit, it seemed, was plaguing her general health.
'The aches gradually got really bad, and I'd had eye tests to try and find out what was causing the problem,' explains Sharon, now the mother of two children, aged one and three. 'When my dentist told me I was a grinder, it all made sense. It really was affecting the rest or my health.'
Sleep is commonly perceived as the elixir of many ills. But for the 40 pc of adults who unconsciously grind their teeth, their nocturnal habits are overloading surrounding muscles and unleashing a series of complications. As well as violent headaches, earache and tinnitus, tooth grinding can also cause pains in the jaw, eyes, chest and shoulders. Grinders are often woken by the grating noise and the disturbed sleep patterns then aggravate other problems. One study even attributed forgetfulness to tooth grinding.
Ultimately, grinding can cause permanent damage to the teeth and erosion to the gums and supporting bones. 'Patients can split their teeth vertically,' explained Dr Robin Gray, a senior lecturer in dental medicine and surgery at Manchester Dental School and a specialist in temporo-mandibular disorders at the Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle. 'And these can be unrestored teeth, with no fillings, that haven't needed any prior treatment. Teeth can be worn down through grinding so the nerve is almost exposed and root canal treatment is needed.' One theory is that bruxism the medical term for tooth grinding - is the release of stress and suppressed anger.
At night, sufferers expel the tension from emotional anxiety by clenching their jaws tightly and grinding their teeth. However, it is easy to spot a tooth grinder by their muscles contracting on the side of their face, near the lower jaw. 'Stress has certainly been a major factor in my tooth grinding,' concurs Sharon. 'Recently, I got in the car, after a long day at work, and immediately started clenching my jaw. Before I knew it, another bit of tooth chipped off.
Unless you're being treated by a dentist who does a lot of bridge and cosmetic work, they may not make the connections with the other symptoms,' explains Manchester dental surgeon Harvey Jacobs. 'I had a new patient who had suffered terrible headaches for 15 years and she had consulted many people. I altered her bite and she came back to me, crying, because within a week the headaches had stopped.' When Harley Street dentist Jacinta Yeo started to have gripping headaches, pains in her jaw, insomnia and aches in her neck, shoulder and chest, she assumed the source of her discomfort was whiplash she had suffered in a car accident. Only when bits of her teeth started to chip off did she realise that she had the classic symptoms of bruxism.
'Long after the whiplash cleared, up I was still feeling terrible. I had tension headaches - it was like having a vice on my head. I couldn't sleep properly. I couldn't work. 'It was impossible to get my jaw into a comfortable position and I ached all over. But then I noticed that my teeth felt they had very sharp edges and bits started to fall out and it all tied up.' Grinding can also result from having an abnormal or changing bite or crooked and missing teeth.
As most grinding occurs at night, it's a difficult condition to treat. To combat stress, some dentists suggest muscle relaxant drugs before bed. Getting the body into a state of relaxation at night by, say, taking a warm bath is also encouraged. However, the aim is to get the body to kick the habit of grinding teeth. 'A lot of problems, such as facial and dental pain, or earaches, can easily be misdiagnosed,' added Dr Gray. 'Sometimes, the real answer is something very simple such as grinding your teeth.'
HOW TO KICK THE HABIT
Ensure a relaxed state of mind before bed. Take a warm bath and a hot drink.
*Psychotherapy or counselling may help express anger and deal with anxiety or stress connected with bruxism. Relaxation techniques can also be explored such as yoga and breathing exercises.
*Avoidance of alcohol has been shown in certain cases to reduce tooth grinding.
*Adjustment of the occlusion or bite pattern may be beneficial. This involves filing down those teeth which prematurely contact together and cause grinding.
*A guard or protective dental appliance may be helpful. These range from soft gum shields to stabilisation splints which mimic an ideal bite to rid the need to grind the teeth. ( dailymail.co.uk )
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