Bruxism is the unconscious tightening or grinding of the teeth.

The origin of this habit is still unknown, but we do know that it is reinforced by some emotional states like anxiety or stress.

The consequences of bruxism are multiple, being the most important:

• Dental wear
• Muscle pain and spasms
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
• Headache
• Loss of the facial esthetics
• Dental sensitivity
• Phlegmons
• Dental movements and fractures
• Sleep alterations
• And, because of its effect on muscles and articulations, it is an important factor in orofacial chronic pain.

 

  

Dental wear caused by bruxism

It can affect anyone, men and women, young or old and even children.  

There are two types of bruxism and they can appear simultaneously:

• Daily
• Nightly  

Daily bruxism is the habit of tightening the teeth during the day, especially in highly emotional situations. This is very harmful to the muscular structures and it can lead to spasm and muscle pain.

Nocturnal bruxism is the habit of grinding the teeth while asleep. It is particularly damaging for the dental structures since it leads to dental wear.

Its effects or consequences can help diagnosed bruxism, for example dental wear, muscle pain, etc

In the first place, the most important part is an early diagnosis. The sooner bruxism is detected, the more consequences that can be avoided.

Since anxiety and stress are important factors in keeping this habit, some sort of psychotherapy should be recommended for stress or anxiety control.

The specific treatment will depend on the type of bruxism.

• Treatment for Daily Bruxism:

In this case some kind of habit control by the patient is recommended. The patient has to be mentally aware of the moments in which he finds himself grinding his teeth. This could happen while driving a car, at work, at home, etc.

When this occurs the patient must substitute this habit for a less harmful movement.

For example, to place the tip of the tongue on the palate, this is a relaxed mandibular position that counterfeits the harmful effects of grinding.

• Treatment for Nocturnal Bruxism:

For this case, the use of an intraoral appliance called oclussal splint is recommended.

To do this, a model of the patient's mouth is taken, and then the oclussal splint is made using acrylic resin and later adapted to the patient's mouth and upper arch.

The splint should be used overnight, during sleep.

The goal of the oclussal splint is, that even though the patient continues with the habit of tightening his teeth, the teeth will not wear out; instead the acrylic splint is worn out.

The consequences of dental wear by nightly bruxism fades away after the oclussal splint's first use, and with time the habit of grinding the teeth will also fade away.

Oclussal Splint for nocturnal bruxism