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In recent years, research has shown that your dental health and many conditions within the mouth can play havoc elsewhere in the body and evidence has continued to support this..
Within this section we’ll explore and document the findings.
Bruxism Periodontal Disease
Bruxism
Bruxism is the term used to describe the clenching or grinding of the teeth that is not a part of your normal chewing movement. Bruxism can lead to aggressive wear on the teeth and may cause damage to the teeth and the jaw joints. This is not a healthy, normal action and this clenching and grinding may occur during the day or at night. More often than not, you will have no conscious control over bruxism, particularly when it occurs during your sleep.
What causes Bruxism?
The causes of bruxism are still being researched but this action has strong links to factors such as:
- Psychological stress, anxiety and tension in adults and children
- Abnormal anatomy of the teeth such as 'high spots' on fillings
- Jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or 'TMJ') abnormalities
What are the symptoms and signs of Bruxism?
The symptoms and signs of bruxism may vary according to the frequency, duration and strength of the clenching and grinding. They may include:
- Pain and sensitivity to hot and cold
- Noise that is noticed by a partner, friends or relatives, that occurs as the teeth are ground together
- Chronic facial pain and tension headaches
- Worn tooth surfaces
- An abnormal alignment of the teeth, caused by uneven tooth wear
- Small factures of the tooth enamel
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Stiffness and pain in the jaw joint that causes limited opening and makes chewing difficult.
- Earache – commonly misdiagnosed as an ear infection
There are various symptoms associated with this condition and usually they reflect the nature of the clenching and grinding involved. If you clench your teeth tightly you may experience tension-related headaches but may have little or no damage to the teeth or jaw joint. Tight clenching alone puts minimal pressure on the jaw joint. If you grind aggressively you may have damaged teeth and jaw joint problems.
In some situations, you may not even realise that you suffer from bruxism as mild tooth grinding will often display worn teeth surfaces, but no jaw joint pain or teeth sensitivity.
Treatment Options
Before your treatment can begin we will need to know your medical history. You should advise us of any general or dental health problems you may have had. In particular please advise us if you have any allergies, previous treatment related to bruxism or jaw surgery. In addition to this you should list the medications you are taking or have recently taken.
Our treatment aim will be to remove the causes of bruxism, change the behaviour that causes bruxism and repair the damage that bruxism may have caused.
We will look for problems likely to lead to abnormal contact among upper and lower teeth. Your bite may need to be improved or adjusted. If pain is a symptom, we will look for related causes, such as an ear infection or a temporomandibular disorder.
We may recommend:
- Painkillers for muscular facial pain, headaches and jaw joint pain
- Muscle relaxant medication to help relax the jaw muscles
- A specialised nightguard/bitesplint to relieve symptoms and prevent further damage
- Your teeth may be adjusted to fit together better
- Your bite may need to be rebuilt to help replace lost or worn tooth height and to prevent further damage
If we suspect that you may have other health problems, we may refer you to a medical practitioner or specialist. We may also recommend counselling and stress management for stress-related causes of bruxism. If you would like to know more about this condition, please contact us for further information.
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Bruxism is the technical term for grinding your teeth; using the forces of your bite and the movement and clenching of opposing teeth |
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