Bruxism refers to excessive grinding of the teeth and/or excessive clenching of the jaw.[1] Bruxism is an oral parafunctional activity;[1] i.e., not an activity related to normal function such as eating or talking. Bruxism is a common problem: reports of prevalence range from 8–31% in the general population.[2] Even elevated levels of bruxism may cause minimal symptoms, and therefore a bruxer may not be aware of the condition. Several symptoms are commonly associated with bruxism, including hypersensitive teeth, aching jaw muscles, and headaches. Bruxism may cause tooth wear, and may even cause teeth to break and dental restorations (e.g. crowns and fillings) to be repeatedly lost or damaged.[3] There are two main types of bruxism: that which occurs during sleep (sleep bruxism) and that which occurs during wakefulness (awake bruxism). Damage to the teeth may be similar in both types, but the symptoms of sleep bruxism are usually worst upon waking and improve during the course of the day, and the symptoms of awake bruxism may not be present at all upon waking, and then worsen over the day.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 07:02:57 +0000
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