This article will look at the causes and treatment of bruxism.
The disease is a pathological phenomenon when a person has teeth grinding. This syndrome is extremely unpleasant for the patient and rather problematic for the doctor. There is an opinion that this pathology is inherent in people with unbalanced mental he alth, but it is known for sure that such a syndrome is diagnosed in about 3% of the world's population.
Description of pathology
In most cases, doctors are faced with such an ailment that manifests itself most often at night, but the daytime type of the condition in question is also known.
The causes and treatment of bruxism in children are listed below.
In modern medicine, it is clearly established what causes can cause the appearance of teeth grinding, and the mechanism of this phenomenon is explained in detail: spontaneous spasms of the masticatory muscles occur when the jaws close and uncontrollable movements begin in them inanteroposterior or lateral direction. During this process, the teeth are linked together by their chewing surfaces, and they move with rather strong friction, as a result of which a characteristic grinding is heard.
What happens during an attack?
During an attack of this pathology, a person may experience:
- impaired breathing during night sleep, up to its complete stop (sleep apnea);
- slow heart rate;
- lowering blood pressure.
Usually, this grinding of teeth lasts for a short period of time - up to about a few minutes.
Before considering the treatment of bruxism, let's talk about the causes of its occurrence.
Causes of occurrence
Medical science has described several well-defined causes of teeth grinding in adults. These prerequisites for the occurrence of a pathological phenomenon are very diverse and can be in the nature of inflammation, as well as various nervous disorders, etc.
Inflammatory processes occurring in the mandibular joint
Such pathologies in any case end in a violation of the functional qualities of the joints, and this phenomenon can be characterized by a specific click when opening the mouth - for example, when yawning or biting off pieces of food. Inflammation of the lower jaw joint, which occurs in a chronic form, as a rule, provokes an increase in nerve impulses, as a result of which sudden spasms of the masticatory muscles are stimulated. They start to shrinkas a result of which the lower jaw begins to move and a characteristic grinding of teeth is heard. A feature of this pathology is that during its development there is a kind of "vicious" circle, when spasms of the masticatory muscles are provoked by an inflammatory process of a chronic form, but this same spasm provokes such inflammation. The causes and treatment of bruxism are interrelated.
Disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system
Quite often for this reason, people have a daytime manifestation of the disease, however, during the night's sleep, the patient will also grind his teeth. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the nervous system in this case is very unstable and there are some disturbances in its work. You should also know some of the main features of the condition in question, provoked by just such disorders.
They are as follows:
- Nocturnal bruxism usually coincides with REM sleep, when involuntary muscle twitches and active eyeball movements occur.
- Nervous disorders lead to the condition in question, which is accompanied in most cases by snoring and talking in a dream.
- Patients who suffer from daytime bruxism due to pre-existing nervous disorders in them, in moments of excitement or excessive concentration, as a rule, have a habit of biting any objects (pencils, pens) or their own nails.
Treatment for bruxism in adults and children should betimely.
Presence of neurotoxins in the body
This circumstance is another reason for the occurrence of gnashing of teeth. There is a list of "household" neurotoxins that can poison the human body and have a destructive effect on the nervous system. Such substances include nitro dyes, alcoholic beverages and nicotine. When their exposure continues for a very long period of time, the occurrence of bruxism, most often at night, can be considered a completely expected phenomenon.
Dental pathology
In this case, we are talking about the fact that a pathological phenomenon in the form of teeth grinding can occur not from stomatitis or caries, but from some pathologies or even anomalies of the jaws and dentition. For example, bruxism may be accompanied by the following diseases:
- Poorly made or ill-fitting fixed dentures.
- Misaligned bite.
- Severe or difficult eruption of the eighth teeth.
- Poorly placed implants, as well as progressive inflammatory processes in the soft tissues surrounding them.
Worms and nighttime teeth grinding
Many people believe that the night grinding of teeth is a direct sign of the presence in the body of any helminths. Especially often this syndrome is mentioned in cases of helminthic invasion in children. It is known that in ancient times, bruxism was treated with garlic and pumpkin seeds, which explains the misconception about the connection between worms and gnashing.teeth.
In official medicine, there is still no direct connection between helminthic invasions and the phenomenon under consideration. Seriously, only three main points that can link these pathological conditions with each other can be considered:
- Infection with any kind of helminths often leads to disturbances in the psycho-emotional background. At the same time, a person becomes extremely irritable and restless - such mental disorders are one of the most common causes of bruxism.
- When infected with helminths (most often this refers to intestinal helminthiasis), the body develops a deficiency of vitamin B12, which is involved in many vital processes. This, in turn, significantly impairs the activity of the neuromuscular system, which becomes an unconditional factor that can provoke dysfunction of the jaw muscles.
- Lack of vitamin B12 in the body, as well as the formation of anemia during helminthic invasions, impairs the processes of transporting oxygen to the brain, which, in turn, leads to changes in the depth of sleep. As a result of such disorders, involuntary muscle contractions in the form of partial convulsions may occur.
Causes of nighttime bruxism in a child
In most cases, parents of children who suffer from this pathological phenomenon, in 30% of cases, turn to the pediatrician about the gnashing of teeth at night. The most common causes of bruxism in childhood are:
- Fatigue and excessive exercise.
- Some anomalies in the structure of the jaws and facial skeleton.
- Pathological bite.
- Development of the adenoids.
- Asthenia.
In most cases, children begin to grind their teeth at night against the background of a prolonged course of any inflammatory or infectious disease, and sometimes parents notice the appearance of this syndrome during the period of weaning the baby from sucking the pacifier. Medicine also does not ignore hereditary factors, since in about 80% of cases bruxism was also present in one of the parents of a particular child.
Epileptic disorders and teeth grinding
There have been numerous scientific studies that should have been aimed at identifying the relationship between epilepsy and bruxism. The results of such activities were the following several aspects:
- A direct relationship has been found between walking and talking in your sleep and grinding your teeth.
- Bruxism, among other things, has a direct relationship with a history of loss of consciousness, but this pathological phenomenon is never accompanied by them.
- There was no direct association between epileptic seizures and bruxism.
- In most cases, teeth grinding during sleep is present in hyperactive children, whose characteristic feature is that they begin to walk, sit, stand and talk earlier than their peers.
Let's look at what the treatment of bruxism is.
Basicprinciples of treatment of a pathological phenomenon
It is rather difficult to eliminate the syndrome in question, since initially it will be necessary to find out the main cause of its occurrence and only after that choose effective methods of therapy.
In medical practice, the following methods of treating bruxism are most often used:
- Correction by hardware methods - wearing special caps for several months.
- Attend various psychotherapeutic trainings to relieve stress and emotional stress.
- Therapy of an orthopedic or orthodontic nature.
- Drug therapy.
- Physiotherapy techniques such as lasers and warm compresses.
- Dental treatment.
- Taking sedative medications and stress prevention.
Some specialists use Botox injections as a therapy for this pathological phenomenon, which are appropriate in cases of advanced bruxism. In this case, Botox is a protective agent that prevents spontaneous contraction of the jaw muscles.
It is impossible to precisely specify the specialization of the doctor to whom this problem should be addressed, since it all depends on what exactly the reasons provoked the appearance of the pathology in question. However, patients are advised to initially consult a dentist, who, after examination, should refer the patient to other narrow areas.specialists: orthodontist, neuropathologist, psychologist, neurologist.
Keep in mind that the earlier you seek medical help, the greater the chance of success in treating bruxism. Some simply ignore the disease, and this can eventually end in the erasure of tooth enamel, the spread of caries and inflammation in the tissues of the oral cavity, and, as a result, tooth loss.
Treatment of bruxism in children
Before starting therapy, a diagnosis should be made. This is necessary to find out the exact cause of the onset of the disease, as well as the duration of the course. The treatment is carried out by a pediatric dentist. There are certain rules for parents, the observance of which will help get rid of the child's teeth grinding. The jaws of the baby should be in a relaxed state. Parents definitely need to tell the baby about this, perhaps he simply does not notice that he has clenched his teeth. The jaws should also not touch each other when the mouth is closed. Complete protection of the child from stress is required. You need to talk to him more often so that he does not feel internal tension due to bad grades or quarrels with friends.
Bruxism caps
Let's continue looking at the causes and treatment of bruxism in adults.
In a dream, a person is not able to control the processes of behavior, so it is impossible to stop grinding your teeth on your own. This syndrome leads to tooth loss, so specialists often prescribe special mouthguards to patients with a similar syndrome,protecting teeth. This device significantly alleviates the condition and relieves stress on the jaw joints.
The bruxism mouth guard is made of silicone and performs the following important functions:
- Serves as a prevention of displacement and loosening of teeth.
- Protects against tooth decay.
- Protects braces from breakage.
- Reduces stress on jaw joints and facial muscles.
In no case should you buy mouthguards in pharmacies, because in this case they can do harm. Such a device is specially made according to individual methods.
Caps have some varieties:
- double-jaw and single-jaw;
- daily;
- resonating;
- night.
This device is considered the most popular way to treat teeth grinding, but they need to be constantly looked after - rinsed inside and out with clean water, brushed with a toothbrush, stored in a glass of water.
Botox Therapy
How is bruxism treated with Botox? Botulinum toxin is an ideal treatment for overactive and spastic muscles.
According to research results, in patients who suffer from bruxism of a psychological and neurological nature, after the use of botulinum toxin, muscle pain eased and teeth grinding decreased. This tool helps to relax the muscles, resulting in reduced pain. Small doses of Botox are injected with a fine needledirectly into the masticatory, sometimes into the temporal muscles.
The procedure is minimally painful, although local anesthesia is sometimes used by doctors. It lasts approximately 15 minutes.
Folk treatment
Treatment of bruxism with folk remedies is also effective.
This could be a relaxing facial massage, yoga or even a visit to a psychotherapist. The doctor will be able to understand the causes of the problem.
You can also listen to calm music before going to bed, read a light book, watch a nice movie, take a relaxing bath - this list can be extended.
You should try to avoid strong jaw clenching during the day. To make it easier, you can drink herbal teas that promote relaxation, give up public transport or a car, and go for a walk in the fresh air.
To get rid of this addiction, it should be understood what provoked her overstrain of the muscles of the face, and therefore they need to be relaxed. You should always have hard fruits, vegetables, or nuts on hand to keep your jaws engaged from time to time. The easiest way to tire your jaw is to buy chewing gum.
Bruxism treatment reviews
This ailment is quite unpleasant and fraught with consequences. According to reviews, getting rid of it is not easy. It will take a long time to work on yourself. Caps help a lot. Gymnastics, yoga, outdoor walks are also effective. All thispromotes relaxation. Numerous reviews of people who have encountered such a problem confirm this.
We looked at the causes and treatment of dental bruxism in adults and children.
