Is bruxism really not caused by stress? my dentist has diagnosed me with bruxism, and told me it's really hereditary and not caused by too much stress. i've always heard it's due to stress. who is right?

Bruxism : Bruxism is a multifactorial problem. Stress is a big contributor to the problem but you may have pick up the bruxism as a child or having a habit like biting on your nails or say pencils or such. You could have an occlusion (your bite) that may be off on one side which may cause you to bite when eating funny or cause an overuse of one side of your mouth compared to the other. If you truly have a bruxism problem by wearing a store bought mouthguard on on the top while sleeping will considerably help.

Dr. : Dr. Gretzula hit the mark by explaining that bruxism can be caused by a myriad of factors. The important thing is that you protect your teeth and bone from any further damage. Long term bruxism has been know to cause TMJ problems, periodontal bone loss, abrasion of the occlusal surfaces of your teeth, and sometimes damage to the nerves of the teeth. It is better in the long run to invest in a bruxism appliance now to help prevent many of the long term problems that may occur from that habit.