What is bruxism
The root of the term "bruxism" comes from the Greek word βρύχω, which literally means "teeth grinding". Bruxism is a more pronounced phenomenon during sleep and is caused by the contraction of the muscles involved in chewing; it is considered an abnormal activity not aimed at a purpose (parafunction).
Signs and symptoms
To learn more: Symptoms Bruxism
Although the subject suffering from bruxism does not realize the grinding of the teeth, on waking up he could complain of an annoying sensation of pain at the level of the jaw. The phenomenon, if not noisy, could go completely unnoticed; in this case it will be the dentist who makes it known, since in the presence of bruxism the teeth undergo a progressive wear, which appears as a filing at the level of the enamel: the consumption of the teeth is caused by the continuous rubbing of the same, which facilitates the onset of tooth decay, because the enamel is continuously subject to stress. In cases of more severe bruxism, the patient could also suffer damage to the alveolar bone and a possible "detachment" of the gums; moreover, in some subjects, the scraping between the teeth takes place so intensely as to highlight the dentin, favoring even more the dental abrasion.
Bruxism in sleep
Bruxism usually lasts a few seconds, but can be repeated several times during sleep. Based on what emerges from the path of the encephalogram, teeth grinding usually occurs in the second phase of sleep. Some researchers have also recorded bruxism in the REM phase, but this seems to be a rather rare event.
Primary and secondary bruxism
One speaks of primary bruxism when it occurs in healthy subjects (in this way, the grinding of the teeth represents a subversive to discharge the tensions); secondary bruxism, on the other hand, derives from chemical or pharmaceutical substances that favor it (anti-psychotic drugs, antidepressants and drugs in general).
In the event that bruxism cannot be corrected, injuries to the teeth could develop into severe forms: in fact, cases of falling and / or fractured teeth, alteration of hot / cold sensitivity and difficulty in opening the teeth have been reported mouth.
Causes
Some family predisposition has been proven for the tendency to teeth grinding and repeated cases of bruxism have been found in the same family. There is also a certain tendency to manifest the phenomenon in adulthood when bruxism is already present during childhood.
Among the factors that promote the disorder there are also malformations of the jaw, mal occlusion at the level of the teeth, stress associated with aggressiveness and alterations of the psycho-pathological state in general.
Incidence
Teeth grinding is an almost widespread phenomenon: it is estimated that a percentage equal to 5-20% of the population is affected, without distinction of race or age. More precisely, it is estimated that 20% of subjects tend to grit their teeth during the day: even in this case, we talk about bruxism, called static diurnal. If the same phenomenon is repeated at night, it is a static nocturnal bruxism, which affects 10% of the population. Some subjects, besides the fact of clenching their teeth, tend to grind them frequently: it is the dynamic night-time bruxism, the type that involves more problems at the dental level.
Bruxism and spontaneous swallowing
Bruxism, while representing an unusual condition, seems to be the consequence of a physiological act that results in spontaneous swallowing, even if there are no certain proofs yet. Before understanding the reasons that explain the correlation with bruxism, it is good to briefly examine the phenomenon: spontaneous swallowing represents an automatic and involuntary condition that occurs every four minutes without the subject being able to do so. This phenomenon occurs both during sleep and during wakefulness. It has been evaluated that spontaneous swallowing can be achieved correctly only if the mandible is well centered and free to move, and the teeth are placed in contact according to the physiological and functional modalities dictated by the chewing system. Consequently, if the sleeping position assumes an incorrect position (prone or sideways), the muscles that favor spontaneous swallowing are forced to make a substantial effort, in order to bring the jaw back to the right position. It is precisely for this reason that the teeth are forced to follow the movements of the jaw: the result that results is bruxism, precisely because the teeth are forced to follow the masticatory movements. Also the pain, the noises, the jerks and the alterations of the jaw motility are the consequence of bruxism, as well as a possible migraine, buzzing and headache.
Remedies against bruxism
To learn more: Bite and other remedies against bruxism
Unfortunately, there are no specific and targeted treatments to solve the problem, but the use of bites is recommended in order to protect the teeth from the erosion caused by bruxism.
Summary
Disorder | Bruxism: involuntary grinding of the teeth caused by the involuntary contraction of the mastication muscles |
Features | Rubbing associated with an involuntary and violent fixture of the teeth of the two arches (lower and upper); sometimes noisy and annoying phenomenon. Bruxism is a parafunction, that is, an activity not aimed at a purpose |
Clinical evidence |
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| When it occurs | Generally, in the second phase of sleep. Sometimes even in the REM phase |
Incidence | 20% of the population: diurnal static bruxism 10% population: static night bruxism 8% of the population: dynamic night-time bruxism |
| Causes of bruxism | Genetic predisposition Oral cavity disorders Administration of antidepressant drugs Intake of drugs Spontaneous swallowing |
| Remedies for bruxism | Bite |
Remedies against Bruxism »
