By CAMILLE SWEENEY


With economic pressures affecting millions of people, dentists may have noticed a drop in patients opting for a brighter smile, but they are seeing another phenomenon: a rise in the number of teeth grinders.

“I’m seeing a lot more people that are anxious, stressed out and very concerned about their financial futures, and they’re taking it out on their teeth,” said Dr. Steven Butensky, a dentist with a specialty in prosthodontics (aesthetic, implant and reconstructive dentistry) in Manhattan.

In San Diego, California, Dr. Gerald McCracken said that over the last 18 months his number of teeth-grinding cases had more than doubled. “We’re finding in a lot of double-income families, we have the people who have lost jobs and are worried, and then we have the spouse, who still has the job, with the added pressure and uncertainty,” he said. “This can cause some real grinding at night.”

With or without economic hardship, 10 to 15 percent of adult Americans moderately to severely grind their teeth, according to Dr. Matthew Messina, a dentist in Cleveland, Ohio, and a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.

Because it is a subconscious muscle activity, most grinders grind without realizing it, until a symptom such as a fragmented tooth or facial soreness occurs.

While many experts believe that genetics may play a role in bruxism (or teeth grinding), stress has long been known to set off clenching and grinding in some people, Dr. Messina said. “Stress, whether it’s real or perceived, causes flight-or-fight hormones to release in the body,” he said. “Those released stress hormones mobilize energy, causing isometric activity, which is muscle movement, because that built-up energy has to be released in some way.”

The most expensive option for rebuilding teeth damaged by grinding is with veneers, but this year, dentists say many of their bruxism patients are requesting one of the least costly treatments: a night guard, also known as an occlusal splint. Manufacturers said sales of these devices had gone up.

Other treatments for teeth grinding include acupuncture, medical massage, hypnosis and Botox injections into the masseter muscle, which controls the jaw, to relax it enough to stop it from going into spasms without changing one’s chewing function.

But taking time before bed to destress can help.

“Good sleep hygiene goes a long way to keeping the mind relaxed and the jaws from starting to smack together,” said Dr. McCracken. “We know that the stress center of the brain is directly next to the part of the brain that controls teeth grinding. We’re not sure how it relates to the disorder, but it’s intriguing. Lately, I even tell my patients, before they go to bed, not to watch the news.”