Bruxism is difficult to notice in oneself, because this disease is a grinding of teeth during sleep. Usually, bruxism in children or adults is noticed by parents or loved ones. Since the involuntary contraction of the masticatory muscles can lead to many dental problems – abrasion, hypersensitivity, defect formation, pain, etc. – it is necessary to identify and cure this disease in time.
What is bruxism?
Bruxism – it is an involuntary grinding of the teeth, caused by a spasm of the masticatory muscles, which leads to intense movements of the clenched jaws. Such grinding of teeth occurs during sleep. If teeth grinding is observed during wakefulness, this phenomenon is called bruxiomania. Both of these conditions are associated with dysfunction of the masticatory muscles. Bruxism in children from teething to 7 years – a fairly common phenomenon, typical for about 50% of children. Bruxism in adults is less common – only 5-10% of people.
Bruxism – causes of
It should be noted that bruxism – it is a problem that is considered not only from the point of view of dentistry. Therefore, among the possible causes of bruxism, some psychological, neurological, osteopathic and many other reasons are also mentioned, among which:
- psychological causes: emotional problems, stress, overstrain, psycho-emotional overload;
- neurological causes: damage to the motor neurons of the trigeminal nerve, impaired activity of the nervous system (central and / or peripheral);
- Dental causes: malocclusion, adentia, ill-fitting dentures, braces, etc.;
- osteopathic causes: complications during childbirth or birth trauma, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, malocclusion, incorrect
- prosthetics, etc.;
- other possible causes: malnutrition, nasal breathing disorders, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, helminthiasis, etc.
Symptoms of bruxism and its consequences
- grinding of teeth during sleep (short-lived, but often recurring);
- toothache, jaw pain, headache;
- drowsiness;
- dizziness;
- tooth erasure;
- increased tooth sensitivity;
- wedge-shaped defects of teeth;
- damage to tooth enamel;
- periodontitis (may occur due to injury to tissues located near the teeth).
Also, grinding teeth during sleep can in some cases lead to hypertrophy of masticatory muscles, problems with jaw movements, neck pain, gingivitis, and other unpleasant consequences.
Bruxism treatment
To get rid of teeth grinding during sleep, it is necessary to find out the cause and severity of the disease. This is what a dentist does. Bruxism in children usually goes away without any intervention by about seven years of age. Bruxism in adults and in children who have not outgrown it is treated through the complex use of various methods: psychotherapeutic, dental, physiotherapeutic and medication.
Treatment needed is determined according to the cause of bruxism, for which the dentist may consult a gastroenterologist, neurologist, psychologist, otolaryngologist, and/or osteopath to determine.
If the cause of teeth grinding in sleep is psychological, the focus is on psychotherapy. Treatment of bruxism with medications is aimed at reducing the convulsive activity of the masticatory muscles. Sometimes massages and manual therapy are prescribed for bruxism.
Dental bruxism is treated with mouth guards, bite correction and other dental problems that cause teeth to grind while sleeping.
Estet-portal emphasizes the importance of initially determining the causes of bruxism and warns of the dangers of self-treatment. Remember that in matters of diagnosis and identification of the root causes of any diseases or abnormalities, including teeth grinding during sleep or while awake, you can rely solely on qualified specialists!
Professional oral care is the basis for the prevention of caries and periodontal disease. One of the most important reasons for the development of these pathologies is dental plaque and the microorganisms that hide in it:
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