Bruxism: What to Do and Who to Consult
If you suffer from bruxism, it is the unconscious clenching of your teeth and the habit of rubbing your jaws together. This results in nighttime (and sometimes daytime) teeth grinding, jaw cracking, and side effects on your tooth enamel. The dentist is not the only one to intervene.
What is bruxism and what are its side effects?
Bruxism is considered a Temporo-Mandibular Dysfunction (TMD ). Static bruxism consists of only clenching your teeth hard at all times, while dynamic bruxism adds the habit of grinding your teeth by moving your lower jaw, the mandible, against the upper jaw.
The patient with bruxism is not necessarily aware of it, especially if it occurs only at night. You can tell if your muscles are regularly sore from tensing them and your jaw is cracking. On the other hand, bruxism produces deleterious effects on your teeth that will also quickly alert you.
– Premature wear of tooth enamel is produced by the continuous grinding effect when you rub your jaws. The consequences are painful and put your teeth at risk. The refined enamel cracks, then falls off creating small chips. Bacteria find there a favorable ground on which they willingly engage by digging caries.
– By wearing your teeth unevenly, you alter the way they fit together and can cause a malocclusion. This prevents you from closing your mouth properly, resulting in facial deformities, as well as speech and chewing problems that can lead to digestive problems. Also, overplaying your jaw muscles develops them, which changes your face.
Bruxism, who to consult?
Bruxism can be caused by a dental malocclusion and will make you enter a vicious circle, as it will accentuate it. But, the most common cause is stress. People with anxiety and hyperactivity are most affected. This is followed by patients with sleep apnea and certain behaviors, such as drinking too much alcohol or using drugs.
This is why you need to consult several professions: a dentist to treat the consequences of bruxism, but also a therapist or coach to find and treat the causes.
The dentist to prevent and treat the consequences of bruxism
The dentist will offer you a dental splint or a dental splint. This equipment prevents direct contact between your upper and lower teeth, thus avoiding damage to your enamel. You wear them at night and less often during the day, if you tend to have a cracking jaw.
The dentist will also repair the damage caused by bruxism on the enamel. He may also consider surgery or orthodontics if you have a malocclusion.
Therapy to prevent bruxism
Bruxism cannot be cured with medication, you must find the psychological cause. It is up to you to find the right therapy for your recurring anxiety. Some will turn to psychotherapy, while others will prefer alternative methods: sophrology, meditation, yoga, relaxation, etc.