Bruxism is the habit of grinding or rubbing the upper and lower teeth together. This usually happens at night when the person is asleep. Bruxism can damaged the break the teeth, strain the jaw muscles, and can cause headaches. During a typical grinding session about 200 pounds of mouth pressure per bite is exerted.

Symptoms of Bruxism:

• Grinding of the teeth at night
• Pain in the jaws.
• Wearing away of the joint between the jawbone and cranium, eventually making it painful to move the jaw.
• In addition to making it difficult to open your mouth, it can cause arthritis in the joints connected to cranium.
• Headache
• Wearing away of the teeth until there is little left leaving the nerve exposed.

Causes:

• Doctors are not sure of the exact cause of bruxism, but because of the higher incidence of it among victims of Down's syndrome, experts' suspects that genetics may be the cause of the problem.
• Stress and anxiety. Anticipatory stress like those experienced right before you make your first public speech.
• Misalignment between the upper and lower teeth.
• Some doctors have said that it could be caused by problems like oxyuriasis (parasites).

Recommended Treatments for Bruxism:

• Try to become accustomed to having your mouth closed but your teeth separated during the day, to create this new habit, some doctors suggest slowly eating a carrot or apple before going to bed. This will burn energy that has been created from tension during the day. This should help you sleep more calmly, grinding your teeth less.
• It is also recommended to consult your dentist, to avoid tooth damage dentist often prescribe dental appliances, usually a small mouth guards that prevent teeth from striking against each other.
• Avoiding food that is hard to chew can help prevent jaw pain.
• Control stress. Stress is one of the main contributory factors in most ailments. It is recommended to do some relaxing deep breathing exercises at least 3 minutes 3 times a day and yoga 3 times a week. In a study conducted in a 20-year old man, relaxation technique completely eliminated bruxism and jaw pain in just four weeks.

Recommended daily food supplements for adults:

• Royal Jelly - contains vitamin B-complex. Helps to prevent nervousness and stress.
• Herbal tea - Tranquilizes
• Garlic - very useful in controlling intestinal parasites
• Pollen - contains all necessary vitamins and minerals.
• B Complex 350 mg., B1 100 mg., B5 50 mg.
• Calcium 1,500 mg.
• Magnesium 500 mg.
• Zinc 50 mg.