Bruxism (from Greek βρύχω, meaning teeth grinding) consists of involuntary rubbing of the teeth associated with violent clenching. It is caused by the contraction of the muscles of mastication. It is defined as a “parafunction” because such activity is not purposeful. It is a phenomenon that occurs most frequently during sleep. The involuntary contraction of the muscles may recur several times during the night and last a few seconds.
The phenomenon is quite widespread. About 5 percent of the population is affected regardless of age or race. It can occur in healthy people (primary bruxism) or in individuals who use psychotropic substances (antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, narcotics). This is referred to as secondary bruxism.
Symptoms
Tooth screeching: The person with bruxism produces a typical noise with his teeth that can be annoying, not so much to the person performing it, but to those around him.
Mandibular pain: an uncomfortable sensation of mandibular pain may occur upon awakening. There is often limited and painful difficulty in gaping.
Dental wear: teeth, due to rubbing, experience progressive wear of the dental crowns. Enamel filing can go so far as to uncover dentin resulting in increased tooth sensitivity and the occurrence of caries.
Other related symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, ear pain, headache, neck pain (cervicalgia – stiff neck).
Causes
There is a family predisposition to the phenomenon as repeated cases have been found in the same family. Dental malocclusions and mandibular malformations, states of stress, and altered psychopathological status in general (anxiety, anger, aggression) may concomitant. Poor posture and sleep disturbances can also motivate teeth grinding. However, a definite determinant cause is not known at present. Among the most widely accepted theories is the one that justifies the phenomenon as a consequence of spontaneous swallowing: swallowing (an involuntary act that occurs every 4 minutes both day and night) can take place correctly if the jaw is well centered and the teeth can bring themselves correctly into occlusion (interlocking of upper and lower teeth). If the jaw assumes an incorrect position, the masticatory muscles, during deglutition, are forced to work to return the dental joint to the correct condition. This continuous muscular work to bring the jaw back to the correct position causes precisely dental rubbing. Bruxism precisely.
Remedies
There is no specific treatment to solve the problem.
Considering that bruxism is often related to emotional stress, it is appropriate to investigate this condition thoroughly. The use of anti-anxiety medications may be a temporary solution to the phenomenon. So too can undergoing specialized kinesiology and myorelaxation sessions promote greater local balance.
The only effective remedy recommended is the use of a splint.
THE BITE (from English bite) is device prepared “TO MEASURE” individually, by the gnathologist dentist, built by specialized dental laboratories. It is constructed of hard resin and is worn by embedding, usually, on the tooth surface of the lower arch. It has only nighttime use and performs several tasks:
Tooth protection: Protective barrier effect. With the interposition of the splint, the teeth no longer have the opportunity to rub against each other, thus limiting damage to the enamel.
Muscle relaxation: the thickness of the bite with the mouth closed forces the chewing muscles (especially masseters) to do a kind of stretching resulting in a lengthening of the muscles. The resulting inhibition of muscle contractions leads to rapid improvement of painful symptoms resulting from nighttime muscle exertion.
Recall how splint treatment should be performed in dental centers specializing in gnathology and parafunctions. Do-it-yourself treatments with generic splints sold in pharmacies, far from solving the problem are often the cause of chronic and aggravation of the phenomenon.
