Bruxism in simple words understood as clenching or grinding of teeth is a habit that affects about 10% of the population. Clenching mostly occurs in situations where someone is out of control of their emotions like anger, stress, or anxiety. It is not an anxiety disorder though it occurs in situations when a person is unaware of the action. These can be treated with therapy and behavioral modifications. Moreover, Dentists in the Town of Mount Royal offer proper care and guidance for sleep bruxism that occurs during the deep or second stage of sleep. It usually occurs with anxiety, and repeats throughout the night. It may be interlinked with sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. Also, this therapy is different and cannot be treated with behavior modification.
Common Treatments:
Custom Night Guards:
According to the American Dental Association, custom-made night guards are a highly effective treatment for bruxism and it is stated that the custom night guards help to reduce the action by 70%, and as compared to mass-produced ones the custom night guards offer better results. With the perfect impression of the teeth, the dentist designs a mouthguard that conforms to the mouth and fits the jaw to protect and prevent injuries. The custom night guards are helpful as the materials are designed to suit the patient. They come in various materials like soft plastic, hard acrylic, dual laminated, or MMA-free and are non-allergenic Thermoplastics. They relieve the stress on the jaw and relax the jaw muscles at night. The custom night guards usually last for more than three years depending on the severity of the patient. It is an oral appliance that acts as a protective barrier for the teeth during bruxism episodes.
Biofeedback Therapy:
The new age biofeedback headband for example is a device that helps the patient to control bruxism at night. It monitors the signs of clenching or grinding of teeth and sends signals to stop. The headband wraps around the head with the monitor on the forehead and sensors on the temples. As per a designer of Sleepguard, the biofeedback technique offers positive results to the majority of people suffering from the problem. Biofeedback therapy also provides relief from neck pain, jaw soreness, headaches, and more. The biofeedback bands and devices use electromyography (EMG) that tracks muscle movement. When it predicts the teeth grinding is going to occur it starts a slow sound which alerts the user to stop clenching, the sound keeps increasing till the user stops clenching. The biofeedback training starts in the day with a two-minute training session to intentionally clench and stop the action. A clinical trial in 2010 proved that 75% of people substantially decreased clenching with the usage of night guards. It is a simple drug-free and non-invasive method.
Botox:
The botulinum toxin type A injection is a clinically proven method that helps in treating bruxism. It is a neurotoxin injection known more commonly as Botox treatment. It is commonly thought to be a cosmetic treatment but it has several other benefits. The injection helps to relax the muscles that mainly contract while chewing, for example when Botox is injected into the masseter muscles or temporalis muscles it releases the tension in the jaw which releases the pain and aches treating chronic jaw pain. Additionally, due to overuse of the masseter muscles it may tend to shape out, the botox injection helps to smooth out the jaw line. It is a safe treatment that shows results in one to three days and lasts up to 3 months. The treatment may be repeated if pain persists as the effect wears off.
Since Bruxism occurs in an unconscious state of mind the force applied on the jaw while clenching is extreme. This causes jaw dysfunction, pain in the jaw in the morning, and due to grinding in the night it may flatten the teeth by over usage. Therefore usage of medical devices have become popular due to their effectiveness and user-friendliness.