Also known as bruxism the habit of grinding and clenching teeth, It occurs as a result of involuntary jaw movements during sleep.
Clenching teeth during sleep can manifest itself as sudden jaw closure and teeth grinding in people who have the habit of sleeping with their mouth open. Muscle activity is 3 times higher in people with sleep disorders compared to healthy individuals. The strength of contraction in the muscles is higher than in the awake state.
Among the causes of bruxism personality structure, genetic factors, drugs used and neurological psychological problems can be listed. In a patient who has been exposed to psychological effects, one of the clearest symptoms in the body is constant clenching. In addition to these reasons, the number of missing teeth, having decayed teeth, improperly produced prostheses and imbalance in the oral tissues can cause teeth grinding problems.
Symptoms of Tooth Grinding and Clenching Problem
The symptoms generally observed in people who have the habit of clenching teeth are as follows;
- The tooth enamel is exposed to excessive force and the tooth is more sensitive than before
- Pain in the jaw and tightening of the jaw muscles due to constant tooth tightening
- High noises during grinding
- Tooth structure that is flattened, broken and loosened by force
- Pain in the temples due to the use of facial muscles during the tightening action
- Gum disease and loss of bone structure
- Sensitivity formation during hot and cold food consumption
- Joint pain along the jaw
Precautions and Treatment Methods for Bruxism
External grinding and squeezing habit can be mitigated by fitting transparent plates specially prepared for each patient before going to sleep.
Transparent plates; It has a protective effect on the jaw joint, teeth and jaw muscles. For the use of plaque, the person should undergo a good oral examination. At this point, the structure of the teeth, their arrangement, their relations with each other and facial muscles are examined in detail. As a result of the examination, the plates are designed to be special in different thicknesses for each patient. These plates, called night plates, are prepared in a laboratory environment by dentists specialized in this field.
Another alternative to bruxism treatment is botox application. The Botox method is applied to patients to reduce muscle strength. Since the muscles on the face work more actively than normal in people with tooth clenching disease, this situation can be alleviated to some extent with botox treatment. Therefore, botox is an effective method to reduce jaw tightening by balancing muscle strength on the face. The two muscles that provide the movement of the teeth can be achieved with a normal chewing function with botox application. After the treatment, the habit of clenching teeth can be terminated or reduced.
The Relationship Between Bruxism and Stress
Many factors such as psychological problems caused by work life, excessive stress, unbalanced diet and less movement can trigger bruxism. As a result of research, 8% of adult people have a problem with clenching teeth due to psychological reasons.
As a result of stress, the tension in the muscles becomes more than normal. The main reason for this tension is due to the stress hormone. During constant stress, people experience involuntary clenching and grinding problems.
A psychological counselor other than the dentist can also help to solve this disorder. Night plates given by dentists should be used regularly during the treatment process.