Bruxism
Bruxism is a behavior people unconscious behavior that can be done awake or asleep. It is when a person grinds or clenches their teeth together. Symptoms include but are not limited to: sore jaw, flat teeth, headaches and tender facial muscles. There are preventative and corrective procedures your doctor can do depending on the severity of the bruxism. Wearing a nightguard maybe an option for some patients where others may need to crown multiple teeth due to sensitivity and cracks from the bruxing.
TMJ
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. This is a disorder that involves the muscles and joints involved with joint movement. Painful symptoms may result when one or more of the joins do not work in alignment with each other. Some contributing factors to TMJ maybe misalignment of the jaw, tooth grinding or arthritis. People under stress may also, unconsciously, grinds or clench their teeth. Therefore, it is important that under periods of stress people try to be aware of their clenching and see their dentist for preventative options such as a nightguard.