Bruxism is a term that describes gnashing or grinding your teeth. It’s an oral activity disorder which is not related to normal functions like eating or talking.
There are usually two main types of bruxism: The first type happens during sleeping which is called related bruxism (Unconscious Bruxism), Second one happens while you are awake (Conscious Bruxism).
Bruxism is one of the common behaviours, some reports show a range from up to 31% in the general population. Conscious bruxism is higher in females while unconscious bruxism is equal between males & females
However, teeth damage is usually similar in both types of bruxism, but sleep related one has more health concerns because most people don’t know that they have it & it might continue for years causing many bad effects like teeth wearing or breakage, crowns & fillings wear, headaches, jaw pain, TMJ disorders. It might also cause muscle tenderness and left the persons who has bruxism unable to relax into deep sleep which affects the sleep quality.
The reasons stand behind bruxism are not understood totally but it usually involves more than one factor. Conscious bruxism has different causes than unconscious one.