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We can halt and prevent tooth decay. We can pretty much prevent and stop gum disease. But the one thing we can't do is keep our teeth from grinding and clenching-technically known as bruxism. Everyone grinds their teeth once in a while but this condition, which wears away the outer and inner layers of healthy teeth and often loosens them, persists in about 20 percent of the population during waking hours and 8 percent during sleep (these numbers are increasing and the nighttime activity is much more damaging to the teeth).
It used to be thought that the cause of bruxism was an off-kilter occlusion (the way the teeth come together). It is now believed that clenching and grinding are, in large part, lifestyle reflexes to stress and anxiety and are classified as "sleep disturbances". Teeth-grinding (sideways movements of the jaws with the teeth just touching) typically occurs during sleep. Nightime bruxers can grind up to 40 minutes for each hour of sleep with as much as 250 pounds of pressure per square inch which is enough to crack a walnut. The wear on the teeth can be dramatic. Teeth clenching (pressing the teeth together), on the other hand, is more of a waking-hours activity and is more common in women; they are perceived to be more vigilent and aware of their surroundings which translates into more frequent closings of the jaws. Over the years, bruxism takes its toll on the teeth some of the consequences which are:
-Front teeth worn down to the same length
-Microcracks that may eventually break off pieces of the teeth especially the molars
-Broken fillings
-Teeth ground down through the enamel into the dentin layer (the sensitive layer)
-Jaw pain, especially in the joint area
-Headaches
-Back teeth worn down which hurries the process whereby the face collapses (which it
does anyway; that's why we get wrinkles).

There is no cure for bruxism but it can be managed in most cases. Custom-fitted night guards, (which can be worn 24 hours in one so chooses) function as bumper guards that absorb the force of clenching and grinding. (I've often said that if a person started wearing a night guard at a very young age and kept using that appliance far into adulthood, it would help keep his or her face much younger looking far longer and more predictably than any of the gels, ointments or plastic surgery techniques otherwise employed). Also worth trying are relaxation techniques including yoga, daily exercise and biofeedback. Stay away from caffeine and other stimulants, choose your mattress carefully, sell your kids and go fishing!


posted by Steve at 11:51 AM