Temporomandibular disorder or bruxism

Do you wake up in the morning with pain in your jaw or tension in your neck and shoulders? Maybe you have frequent headaches in the area above your temples? Your teeth are too sensitive to cold, pressure or other irritation? These symptoms are frequent in persons who intensely move the lower jaw left and right and back and forth, which results in teeth grinding and wear and tear. The medical term is bruxism or temporomandibular disorder. 

When we chew food, we develop a force of about 175 Pa per cm2 of the tooth surface. When we grind our teeth at night, there is no food to alleviate the pressure, so that the force which we develop amounts to about 300 Pa per cm2 of the tooth surface, or even more. It remains unknown why the rhythmic activity of muscles during sleep involves both groups of the muscles of mastication (mouth openers and closers), when during the day, when we chew, they alternate. 

For many people, the main problem is headache, which does not allow them to perform their normal daily activities. The complex joints connecting the lower jaw and the scull may be too tense and inflamed, which causes pain that can even spread to the upper back.

Moreover, the problems may become much more serious. There could be permanent damage to the teeth, such as fractures of tooth enamel, tooth fractures, damage to the temporomandibular joint, or even tooth loss.   

There are numerous reasons why people with bruxism unconsciously clench their jaws and grind their teeth. Irregular bite and daily stress may be one of the causes of bruxism, as well as excessive intake of caffeine, nicotine or alcohol. While asleep, you are not capable of preventing the overburdened muscles of the jaw and the temporomandibular joint from contracting, causing numerous symptoms that you feel all day long. 

Fortunately, the treatment of this problem is usually uninvasive, inexpensive and easily treatable by your dentist. 

In most cases, a dental impression is taken, based on which a mouth (night) guard is made, for each patient individually. They are the so-called dental splints, made of special foils, which are soft on the inside and hard on the outside. The splint covers all teeth of the upper jaw, reduces the force affecting the teeth and prevents unnecessary tension of the muscles. Patients who have had this problem for years feel relief only after two or three nights of wearing this appliance. 

If you think that you have temporomandibular disorder or bruxism, consult us. Your problem is easily solvable.