Meaning of Bruxism
Bruxism is characterized by teeth grinding and jaw clenching that results in tooth breakage, pain in the jaw and headaches.
Around 8–10% of people have the habit of bruxism. Although it affects both adults and children, bruxism is more prevalent in people aged 25 to 44.
However, bruxism can be regular and severe enough in some people to cause jaw difficulties, migraines, cracked or chipped teeth, and other issues.
Bruxism is categorized into two types which are awake bruxism and sleep bruxism.
Awake bruxism is portrayed by uncontrollable jaw bracing and teeth grinding in response to particular stimuli.
When you clench your jaw and grind your teeth when awake, this condition is known as awake bruxism. Usually, it’s connected to emotional problems. Teeth grinding can result from anxiety, tension, or anger. But focusing on something can also help.
If you are more likely to recognize it and stop, awake bruxism frequently doesn’t require treatment. Learning how to become more conscious can also help minimize the frequency, as does practising stress management.
Sleep bruxism is described as automatic teeth grinding during sleep and it is accompanied by continuous, repetitive contractions of the jaw muscles.
People who experience sleep bruxism may wake up with the following symptoms; face hurt, tension and pain in the jaw, dull headache, etc.
Bruxism is further grouped into primary and secondary bruxism.
Primary bruxism occurs without any preceding medical conditions, and secondary bruxism happens after a medical or psychiatric issue is known.
The teeth grinding that is noticed when awake and secondary bruxism can be linked to certain prescriptions like antidepressants or illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, as well as conditions like Parkinson’s disease, significant depression, and anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of Bruxism
Jaw pain
One of the symptoms of bruxism is jaw pain. This kind of pain is characterized by a moderately long-lasting, intense dull ache that is frequently compared to the agony brought on by a persistent headache.
Sensitivity of the teeth
The sensitivity of the teeth to heat and cold is one of the first signs of bruxism. Sensitivity might be occasional, persistent, localized, or generalized.
Acute or Chronic Pain
Pains and discomfort from bruxism are normal reactions. Depending on how aggressively and frequently a person bruxes, common aches and pains can grow from mild to severe. Any of these pains may be either acute or persistent.
Other symptoms are:
- Inflammation of the gingiva
- Headache
- Ear pain
- Tongue indentation
- Disruption in sleep
- Flattened teeth
Causes of Bruxism
Stress
Stress is described as a physical or emotional condition that usually results in physical or mental tension which may eventually lead to or contribute to the development of disease in the body.
It is the body’s response to a stimulus that upsets our homeostasis, leading to unresolved feelings like irritability, rage, rivalry, aggression, tension, anxiety, hyperactivity, or unresolved conflict. Unnecessary tension can also result from suppressing emotions.
External environmental factors, psychological factors, or social situations can all contribute to stress. Stress can also be caused by internal factors like disease or a medical procedure.
Since bruxism can be regarded as an emotional reaction, individuals with suppressed sentiments of annoyance and rage as well as competitive, rushed, competitive, and aggressive personalities are more likely to grind their teeth.
Lifestyle Habits
The bruxism cycle can be worsened by lifestyle choices, particularly if psychoactive chemicals like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and narcotics are consumed.
Various things and activities you engage in can put you at risk of bruxing.
An individual’s risk of getting sleep bruxism is increased by drinking alcohol excessively. Drinking alcohol often makes bruxing more severe.
Alcohol alters dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and extrapyramidal region levels in the central nervous system. When these are affected, It lessens the central nervous system’s dopaminergic system’s ability to be modulated by glutamate neurons. This causes significant changes in behaviour and motor activity, which in turn leads to an increase in bruxism.
People who consume tobacco are also at risk of bruxism.
Tobacco has an impact on the dopaminergic system. Smokers are twice as likely to brux during sleep than non-smokers, and these episodes happen five times more frequently each night. Smokers have bruxism-related symptoms three times more frequently than non-smokers. Users are more likely than non-users to observe and report bruxing.
Individuals who take drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine are more likely to brux.
These substances stimulate the central nervous system. The dopaminergic system is primarily engaged in its mechanism of action, which is based on the neuronal transmitters in the brain. Neuronal transmitters are necessary for the central nervous system’s learning, memory, sleep cycle, movement control, hormone regulation, and many other processes. So, they start bruxism-causing motor problems.
Medical Conditions
Individuals with conditions like Autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia. Autism is a neurodevelopmental illness characterized by restricted and repetitive behaviour, poor verbal and nonverbal communication, and impaired social interaction. Antipsychotic medicines used to treat it, as well as the high levels of stress and anxiety associated with autism, can all contribute to bruxism.
Cerebral palsy is described as a non-progressive brain injury or abnormality that takes place during brain development. Due to associated abnormal circumstances in the mouth cavity, bruxism is considered a secondary ailment.
Patients with cerebral palsy usually have teeth of different sizes, shapes, and alignment issues which encourage bruxing. Also, they have frequent seizures, are more likely to suffer head injuries, bite their lips and cheeks, and grind their teeth.
Fibromyalgia is usually characterized by the spread of musculoskeletal pain along with changes in mood, sleep, memory, and exhaustion. Numerous fibromyalgia patients also struggle with sleep issues, which raises the risk of nocturnal bruxing.
The severity of this disease worsens with bruxism.
Treatment for Bruxism
Once you have been diagnosed with bruxism, the next step is to go for treatments. The purpose of treatment is to lessen pain, stop irreversible permanent damage to the teeth and supporting structures, and minimize grinding.
There are home remedies or treatments you can do for bruxism.
Home remedies include;
- Take enough water.
- Use ice on the jaw muscles.
- Massage your neck and shoulder regularly.
- Regular exercise for the face.
Other treatments include:
Nightguards
One of the most common forms of treatment for sleep bruxism is night guards.
Depending on the amount and frequency of grinding, night guards can last anywhere from a few months to years on average.
As multiple crowns, bridges, or implants are more likely to break quickly in patients who grind their teeth at night, night guards should be worn to safeguard restorations.
Medications
Medications like Antiepileptic, Clonazepam and Propranolol can be used to treat bruxism.
Antiepileptics are used for epilepsy as well as the clinical therapy of orofacial pain conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Antiepileptics can also be used for bruxism.
Clonazepam supports the short-term management of sleep bruxism with clonazepam.
Propranolol is also an effective medication for bruxism treatment. This medicine lowers sympathetic tone in the minutes before the onset of sleep bruxism as well as a sympathetic activity while you’re sleeping.
Chiropractic treatments
Chiropractic treatments can help to relieve ear pain that may be brought on by bruxism, as well as headaches, jaw pain, TMD, restricted mandibular opening, jaw pain, and tight masseter muscles.
Biofeedback
If you are having trouble changing your behaviour, biofeedback can be of help.
Biofeedback is a technique that employs equipment and monitoring techniques to train you to control the muscle activity in your jaw.
An electronic device that detects the amount of jaw and mouth muscle activity is used in biofeedback. It then alerts you when your muscles are working too hard so you can take action to modify your habit.
This is very useful for bruxism during the day. To create a treatment plan for people who clench during the night, more study is required.
Behavior change
Once you find out that you have bruxism, you may be able to alter your habit by using the right mouth and jaw position.
You may also learn the correct way to rest your lips, teeth, and tongue. You can also learn to keep your lips tight and teeth spaced out to ease jaw ache by resting your tongue up.
Conclusion
Bruxism is a severe condition. Once you’ve been diagnosed. You can have a home remedy such as regular exercise, taking enough, etc. You can also opt in for medications, chiropractic treatment, and so on.
