Bruxism is a parafunctional activity of the chewing system, an involuntary act that is not used for functional purposes (eating, talking, etc.) characterized by the strong closure of the jaws and the friction of the teeth. It is already mentioned in the Bible and in the New Testament, and has existed since our existence, the activity of tightening teeth in humans and other animals is interpreted as anger, hostility or frustration.This phenomenon already appears in childhood and often disappears in adolescence, but if it remains in adulthood, can be very destructive and cause damage to the teeth and chewing system, the prevalence of this problem ranges from 8% to 31% among the general population. Witch sometimes produces symptoms that can cause discomfort such as: teeth hypersensitivity , pain in the muscles of mastication and headaches, as well as loss of teeth and damage to the teeth
Daytime bruxism occurs when a person is awake, characterized by closing the mouth tightly, for reasons of mental stress or anger, and sometimes the phenomenon of tooth friction can occur, usually the damage produces a severe headache or pain in the muscles of the mastication, the pain may appear suddenly during the day and become stronger at the end of the day, damage to the teeth can cause fracture of the teeth or reconstructions. It also produces dental erosion. the treatment is at the mental level either by relaxation, psychological therapy, use of chewing gums, placement of the tongue between teeth, drinking medicinal herbs such as chamomile that soothes the nervous system, use of essential oils for massage, calming the muscles and relaxing. Chinese alternative medicine can also help reduce stress and tension in the area of the mouth, cheeks and jaw. The point is between the eyebrows. Tighten with one thumb and do nine turns clockwise
Nighttime bruxism occurs when a person sleeps. It is also characterized by tightening and locking the jaws with great intensity and the friction of the teeth. Makes the pain appear after the awakening of sleep and is less painful during the day. Researchers explain that the bruxing of teeth, as sleep is releasing stress at night, also suggests that the chewing system tries to correct interference in the bite. Several studies show close association with sleep disorders and nighttime bruxism, increased consumption of caffeine, and alcohol can lead to bruxism, drug use and several medications as well. Women do more during pregnancy. In general, nocturnal bruxism affects both sexes in the same way.
Night Bruxism can be
- Mild that does not happen every night, without damage to the teeth or other physical system.
- Moderate that occurs every night, folowed by slight physical damage.
- Severe several times during the night, folowed by physical damage to the teeth, damage to the temporomandibular joint and severe mental disorder.
- It can be diagnosed by a device placed in the area of the temporomandibular joint called BITESTRIP
Bruxism at the time of appearence can be
- Chronic that takes more than a month.
- Acute that takes less than a month.
- Subacute that lasts a week.
Bruxism lasts only 10 to 15 seconds, but in severe cases occurs hundreds / thousands of times each night.
Signs
- Aggravation of damage to the teeth, especially in the structure of the tooth, which causes flattening of the tooth in the occlusal plane, in the part of the tooth that touches the opposite tooth.
- Fractured teeth, and repeated damage to dental reconstructions.
- Teeth Hypersensitivity caused by erosion of the layers of the tooth around the pulp of the tooth.
- Periodontal ligament is the tissue responsible for the connection of the teeth to the bone (alveolar bone). It can cause a burning sensation in the teeth during the meal and even weaken the stability of the teeth
- Indentation of the tongue causes bite marks of the teeth on the sides of the tongue.
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- Biting the inside of the lips.
- hypertrophy of the masticatory muscles (excessive growth of the masseter muscle from the lower jaw),
- A feeling of pain and fatigue in the chewing muscles, a feeling that may become less pleasant during movement of the lower jaw, such as speech and chewing.
- Trismus – Inability to fully open the mouth.
- Pain in the jaw joint, which can result in ear pain.
- “Noises” in the jaw joint.
- Headaches, especially on the sides of the head above the ears. Caused by over activation of the temporal muscle
Treatment: There is still no medical ability to prevent bruxism at night, only try to minimize the damage it causes to the teeth and the chewing system with a bite plate at night
The night guard plate is a laboratory fixture that is usually placed on the upper maxillar for use at night during sleep.
Advantages: Eliminate the closing of the jaws avoiding them to block, avoid erosion of the teeth, avoid muscle contraction and contribute to their relaxation, avoid headaches and muscles. Its purpose is to prevent / eliminate / minimize the symptoms mentioned above.
Disadvantages: high initial cost compared to a restoration, but in the end, will save a high cost of a gyant rehabilitation, wear of the plate, as a result of the friction effect and the need to make a new plate every few years.