Bruxism
1. What is bruxism?
Bruxism is the involuntary clench of teeth, prolonged contact of the tooth surfaces.
2. Types, symptoms and causes of bruxism
There are two types of bruxism
- Clenching: To clench our teeth against each other.
- Grinding: Grinding the teeth making short lateral movements and at the same time clenching.
Symptoms
- Headache
- Muscle contractures
- Insomnia
- Earache
Causes
- Stress
- Not stable occlusion
- Bad teeth position that contributes to non adequate contacts between them.
3. Treatment
Night guard
- A night guard is a resin guard that is used during the night for treating bruxism. It intends to position the jaw in a stable and secure three-dimensional position.
- Avoiding contact between teeth, the jaw positions it self in a ideal articular relation, therefore the muscle loses some tone contributing for a more relaxed position.