Bruxism ( night guard )
Bruxism is a movement of friction of the teeth. This grinding or tightness of the teeth occurs mostly during sleep and it is also associated with episodes of tightness in the jaw.
The symptoms:
- Wear and abrasion of teeth
- Headaches
- Breaking of fillings, crowns or dentures
- Fracture and loosening of teeth
- Mobility of teeth
- Oral Facial Pain
- Pain in the jaw and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) in the morning
- Interruption of sleep of the spouse because of the noise caused by tooth grinding
Missing teeth can worsen the bruxism and stress and hyperactivity. The solution is wearing a biteplate at night to prevent grinding and tooth wear. The biteplate reduces muscle tension and also protects your teeth. The replacement of missing teeth by implant, bridge or denture could improve bruxism.
There is still little information on the cause of bruxism, but anxiety seems to be the trigger that can aggravate bruxism.
It is estimated that 8% of adults and nearly 14% of children grinded they teeth a few times a week.
The prevalence of bruxism decreases with age, rising to 12% in teenagers and to 3% among people aged over 60.
Management of bruxism includes relaxation, physiotherapy and the port of a biteplate to prevent dental damage. Designed custom from impressions of the teeth, a biteplate is a gutter acrylic that covers the surface of teeth chewing. It is worn day or night and prevents the upper teeth to make contact with the lower teeth.
In addition, some recommendations can be made for patients:
- Avoid smoking in the evening
- Avoid excessive alcohol
- Avoid sleeping on your back
- Avoid noise in the bedroom
(Edited by ODQ)