This article discusses the causes and treatment of bruxism.
An ailment is a pathological phenomenon when a person is grinding his teeth. This syndrome is extremely unpleasant for the patient and quite problematic for the doctor. There is an opinion that this pathology is inherent in people with unbalanced mental health, but it is definitely known that a similar syndrome is diagnosed in about 3% of the world's population.
Pathology Description
In most cases, doctors are faced with such an ailment, which manifests itself most often at night, but the daytime type of condition is also known.
The causes and treatment of bruxism in children are presented below.
In modern medicine, it is clearly established what causes the grinding of teeth, and the mechanism of this phenomenon is explained in detail: spontaneous spasms of the masticatory muscles occur when the jaw closes and uncontrolled movements begin in the anteroposterior or lateral direction. During this process, the teeth are interlocked with their chewing surfaces, and they move with fairly strong friction, as a result of which a characteristic grinding sound is heard.
What is observed during an attack?
During an attack of this pathology in humans, the following can be observed:
- impaired breathing during a night's sleep, up to its complete stop (night apnea);
- slow heartbeats;
- lowering blood pressure.
Typically, such grinding of teeth lasts 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
In medical science, several clearly defined causes of grinding teeth in people in adulthood are described. These prerequisites for the occurrence of a pathological phenomenon are very diverse and can carry the nature of inflammation, as well as various nervous disorders, etc.
Inflammatory processes in the mandibular joint
In any case, such pathologies result 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 proceeds in a chronic form, as a rule, provokes an increase in nervous impulse, as a result of which stimulation of sudden spasms of the masticatory muscles occurs. They begin to contract, as a result of which the lower jaw begins to move and a characteristic tooth grinding 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 the inflammatory process of a chronic form, but this same spasm also provokes such inflammation. The causes and treatment of bruxism are interrelated.
Disorders in the nervous system
Quite often, for this reason, people have a daytime manifestation of the disease, however, during a night's sleep, the patient will also grit his teeth. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the nervous system in this case is very unstable and there are some violations in its work. You should also know some of the main features of this condition, provoked by just such disorders.
They are the following:
- Night bruxism, as a rule, coincides with the phases of REM sleep, when muscle twitches of an involuntary nature and active movements of the eyeballs occur.
- Nervous disorders lead to the occurrence of 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 nervous disorders that already exist in them, at times of excitement or excessive concentration, usually have a habit of biting any objects (pencils, pens) or their own nails.
The treatment of bruxism in adults and children should be timely.
The presence of neurotoxins in the body
This fact is another reason for the occurrence of grinding 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-paints, alcoholic beverages and nicotine. When their effect lasts for a very long period of time, the occurrence of bruxism, most often at night, can be considered a quite expected phenomenon.
Dental pathology
In this case, we are talking about the fact that a pathological phenomenon in the form of grinding of teeth can occur not from stomatitis or caries, but from some pathologies or even anomalies of the jaw and dentition. For example, the following diseases can accompany bruxism:
- Poorly made or not sized fixed prostheses.
- Incorrectly formed bite.
- Severe or difficult eruption of eighth teeth.
- Poorly established implants, as well as progressive inflammatory processes in the soft tissues surrounding them.
Helminths and night gnashing of teeth
Many people believe that nightly grinding of teeth is a direct sign of the presence of any helminths in the body. Especially often, this syndrome is mentioned in cases of helminthic infestation in children. It is known that in ancient times, bruxism was treated with garlic and pumpkin seeds, which explains the false misconception about the connection between worms and gnashing of teeth.
In official medicine, there is still no direct connection between helminthic invasions and the phenomenon under consideration. Seriously, you can consider only three main points that can connect these pathological conditions with each other:
- 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 worsens the activity of the neuromuscular system, which becomes an unconditional factor that can provoke impaired functionality of the jaw muscles.
- Lack of vitamin B12 in the body, as well as the formation of anemia during helminthic infestations, worsens the processes of oxygen transportation to the brain, which, in turn, leads to changes in the depth of sleep. As a result of such violations, involuntary muscle contractions in the form of partial seizures can occur.
Causes of nocturnal bruxism in a child
In most cases, parents of children who suffer from this pathological phenomenon in 30% of cases turn to a pediatrician for tooth grinding at night. The most common causes of bruxism in childhood are:
- Fatigue and excessive physical activity.
- Some abnormalities in the structure of the jaws and facial skeleton.
- Pathological bite.
- The development of adenoids.
- Asthenia.
In most cases, children begin to grit their teeth at night against the background of a prolonged course of an inflammatory or infectious disease, and sometimes parents notice the appearance of this syndrome during the period when the baby is weaned from sucking a nipple. Medicine also does not ignore factors of a hereditary nature, since in about 80% of cases bruxism was also present in one of the parents of a particular child.
Epileptic disorders and gnashing of teeth
Numerous scientific studies have been conducted, which should have been aimed at identifying the relationships between epilepsy and bruxism. The results of such events were the following several aspects:
- A direct relationship was found between walking and talking in a dream and grinding teeth.
- Bruxism, among other things, has a direct connection with a loss of consciousness in history, but this pathological phenomenon is never accompanied by them.
- There was no direct relationship between epileptic seizures and bruxism.
- In most cases, gnashing of teeth during sleep is present in hyperactive children, a characteristic feature of which is that they begin to walk, sit, stand and talk earlier than their peers.
Consider the treatment of bruxism.
The basic principles of the treatment of a pathological phenomenon
It is quite 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 treatment methods.
In medical practice, the following methods of treating bruxism are most often used:
- Correction by hardware methods - wearing special cap for several months.
- A visit to a variety of psychotherapeutic trainings to relieve stress and emotional stress.
- Orthopedic or orthodontic therapy.
- Drug therapy.
- Physiotherapeutic techniques, for example, by means of laser exposure and warming compresses.
- Dental treatment
- Taking sedatives, as well as stress prevention.
Some specialists use Botox injections as therapy for this pathological phenomenon, which are appropriate in cases of advanced bruxism. In such a case, Botox is a protective agent that prevents spontaneous contraction of the jaw muscles.
It is impossible to pinpoint the specialization of the doctor who should be addressed with this problem, since it all depends on what exactly caused the appearance of the pathology in question. Nevertheless, patients are recommended to initially consult a dentist, who, after examination, should refer the patient to other narrow specialists: orthodontist, neurologist, psychologist, neurologist.
It should be borne in mind that the sooner an appeal for medical help occurred, the greater the chances of success in treating bruxism. Some simply ignore the disease, and this may ultimately result in the erasure of tooth enamel, the spread of caries and the inflammatory process 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 ailment, as well as the duration of the course. Treatment is provided by a pediatric dentist. There are certain rules for parents, the observance of which will help to get rid of the tooth grinding of the child. The jaws of the baby should be in a relaxed state. Parents definitely need to tell the baby about this, maybe he just does not notice that he clenched his teeth. The jaw should also not touch each other, in a situation when the mouth is closed. A complete protection of the child from stress is required. More often you need to talk with him so that he does not feel internal stress due to poor grades or quarrels with friends.
Caps from bruxism
We continue to consider 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 with your own teeth. This syndrome leads to tooth loss, so specialists often prescribe special mouth guards for patients with this syndrome to protect their teeth. This device significantly alleviates the condition and relieves stress on the jaw joints.
The bruxism mouthpiece is made of silicone and performs the following important functions:
- Serves as prevention of tooth displacement and loosening.
- Protects against tooth decay.
- Protects braces from breakage.
- Reduces stress on the joints of the jaws and facial muscles.
In no case should you buy mouthguards in pharmacies, since they can harm in this case. Such a device is specially made according to individual methods.
Mouthguards have some varieties:
- two-jaw and one-jaw;
- daytime;
- resonating;
- nightly.
This device is considered the most popular way to treat gnashing of teeth, but you need to constantly care for them - rinse the outside and inside with clean water, brush with a toothbrush, and store in a glass of water.
Botox Therapy
How is Botox treated for bruxism? Botulinum toxin is an ideal treatment option for excessive muscle activity and spasticity.
According to the results of studies, in patients who suffer from psychological and neurological bruxism, after botulinum toxin was used, muscle aches weakened and gnashing of teeth decreased. This tool promotes muscle relaxation, resulting in less pain. Small doses of Botox are injected with a thin needle directly into the chewing, sometimes into the temporal muscles.
The procedure has minimal pain, although sometimes doctors use local anesthesia. It lasts about 15 minutes.
Alternative treatment
The treatment of bruxism with folk remedies is also effective.
This can be a relaxing massage for the muscles of the face, a hobby for yoga, or even a visit to a therapist. The doctor will be able to figure out the causes of the problem.
You can also listen to calm music before going to bed, read a light-weight book, watch a pleasant movie, take a relaxing bath - this list can be supplemented.
You should try to prevent strong compression of the jaws during the day. To facilitate the task, you can drink herbal teas that contribute to relaxation, abandon public transport or a car, and walk in the fresh air.
To get rid of this addiction, it should be understood that it provoked overstrain of the muscles of the face, and therefore they need relaxation. You should always have solid fruits, vegetables, or nuts on hand so that the jaws are engaged from time to time. The easiest way to tire your jaws is to buy chewing gum.
Reviews on the treatment of bruxism
This ailment is quite unpleasant and fraught with consequences. According to reviews, getting rid of it is not easy. It takes a long work on yourself. Mouthguards help well. Also effective gymnastics, yoga, walks in the fresh air. All this contributes to relaxation. Numerous reviews of people who have encountered such a problem confirm this.
We examined the causes and treatment of dental bruxism in adults and children.