Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) is an act of unconsciously clenching the teeth, usually during sleep. This is an abnormal situation and creates a very disturbing sound. Usually this habit is not noticed by the person. Its incidence in our country reaches up to 20 percent. While research on bruxism shows that the cause of teeth grinding is due to a central nervous system disorder, some studies define the cause of teeth grinding as excessive emotional sensitivity, anger, stress, delusion, unbalanced nutrition, inactivity and the nighttime expression of the feeling of keeping everything under control. 'Bruxism' is the third most common sleep disorder, after sleep talking and snoring. Between 5 and 10 percent of people with bruxism may cause damage such as breaking of fillings and teeth as a result of the force they apply to their teeth, and some of them complain of jaw joint dysfunctions and suffer from unreasonable headaches and muscle aches in the morning.
Causes of teeth grinding. There are various opinions about it. However, everyone agrees that stress is the most important factor among the causes of bruxism. Stress has been determined to be both the cause of bruxism and the most important factor that increases the severity of the event. Having an extremely nervous, sensitive, meticulous nature and malocclusion, that is, disorders in the alignment and alignment of the teeth, are other causes of bruxism.
Inadequate nutrition, intestinal parasites, allergies and endocrine disorders can also cause teeth grinding. If the intestines are full, the signals from the tense intestinal wall initiate the activity of the digestive tract in the brain. Intestinal contraction increases, digestive enzymes are secreted, stomach acid increases, saliva flow increases, chewing muscles contract or become easier to contract. As a result, teeth grinding may occur.
Teeth grinding is not only seen in adults
Teeth grinding is not a problem seen only in adults. Children, like adults, mostly grind their teeth during sleep, not during waking hours. The most common period when children grind their teeth is during baby teething. It is the period when the teeth and permanent teeth come out. Once these two periods have completely passed, children tend to stop their teeth grinding habits. A patient with a runny nose due to sinusitis is constantly receiving stimulation from his or her nasopharynx and oropharynx. In this case, the child may grind his teeth.
Tooth eruption may also be the cause of teeth grinding in children. During eruption, pressure occurs on the gum and some biochemical agents are secreted during this process. As a result, these substances stimulate the nerves in the surrounding tissues and stimulate the chewing muscles, and involuntary jaw contractions, that is, teeth grinding, may occur. As a result of this teeth grinding, slight wear can be observed, especially on the milk canine teeth and incisors. If preventive treatments are not applied at an early age; In children who are still growing and developing, permanent damage may occur to both the teeth and the jaw joint.
We ask you a few questions to understand whether you have bruxism:
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Has your spouse or anyone in your family told you that you grind your teeth while sleeping?
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Do you have pain in your neck and shoulders?
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Do you hear a 'clicking' sound from your joints?
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When you wake up in the morning, do you experience fatigue or pain in your jaw joint, facial muscles and ears?
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Are your teeth sensitive?
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Jaw Is there any limitation in your movements?
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If you cannot open your mouth comfortably, is there pain when you open it, and does the pain continue during the day?
Teeth grinding is a treatable disease. The aim of the treatment is to prevent permanent damage to the teeth and jaw joint and to eliminate pain. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of stress, which is a major factor in its formation. Secondly, teeth should be protected. Silicone plates, which vary from person to person, are used for protection. "Night guards", which are applied by the dentist and placed between the lower and upper jaw teeth to prevent the teeth from coming into contact with each other during sleep, are the most important tool used in the symptomatic treatment of teeth grinding. Treatment is more about solving acute problems It is applied for dental purposes and may require the collaboration of a dentist and physiotherapist. Treatments for muscle relaxation can be applied, as well as solving dental problems. Sometimes these are not enough, and recommendations for stress or drug injection for bruxism can be applied.
Therefore, depending on the picture of the disease, some additional treatments should be applied in addition to night guards:
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Stress therapy,
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Measures to ensure comfortable sleep,
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Muscle application of relaxant medication,
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Renewal of incorrectly made dental fillings and coatings,
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Prosthesis applications to replace missing teeth.
What kind of problems does it cause if left untreated?
The pressure on your teeth in bruxism is much greater than the pressure during normal chewing. Therefore, it can cause damage to the bones around the teeth, damage to the jaw joint, loosening of the teeth, and flattened or worn lower teeth. Additionally, if teeth grinding progresses, discomfort such as the inability to open the mouth and jaw locking may occur.
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