Dental Devices Bruxism

Bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your teeth more than usual. People with a mild form of Bruxism may not experience any symptoms or need treatment whereas more severe cases lead to jaw problems, headaches, tooth wear and damage. Bruxism is usually classified into day time and night time types and many people that suffer from nocturnal Bruxism wouldn't even know that they are grinding their teeth in their sleep.

Depending on the severity of your Bruxism the symptoms could include some or all of the following:

Grinding your teeth or clenching your teeth at night or during the day
Pain jaw joints
Headaches and earache
Worn teeth
Tooth pain or sensitivity
Roughness to the tissue of your inner cheek

Because there are a variety of causes it needs to be assessed on an individual basis. In many cases the dentist or doctor cannot ascertain the exact cause. The following are possible causes:

The treatment depends on the cause of Bruxism and establishing this is the first step towards treating the condition.

Treatment options include: Therapy for stress behavioural disorders — If you suffer from any anxiety disorders, aggression or excessive amounts of stress then treating the cause of these with counselling or appropriate medications / therapies would be the first point of action.
Splints and mouth guards many dentists may give you a splint or a mouth guard which will prevent you from grinding your teeth together and that you can wear during the night.
There are also many over the counter mouth guards available such as the Nobrux dental guard which is approved by the British Dental Health Foundation Dental Treatment - sometimes re-alignment of the way the teeth bite together (occlusion) can help with the problem. Also restoring worn teeth with crowns can help with sensitivity and cosmetic issues as a result of teeth grinding.

Your dentist can measure you for a specially tailored mouth guard to help gently hold your jaws in a position to lessen the effect of Bruxism