Bruxism is the involuntary habit of grinding or clenching your teeth when you are in deep sleep. It is a difficult habit to identify, as it happens during sleep. Usually patients begin to notice a discomfort in the jaw, a slight muscle pain, due to the pressure exerted by bruxism. It is estimated to be 300 times greater than that used when chewing.
The most obvious symptom of bruxism is the wear and tear of the teeth, but it starts to become noticeable with the passage of time. The other symptom is headaches.
This pathology usually affects people between 20 and 40 years of age. It is estimated that it can affect up to 7 out of 10 people, so it is a more common condition than it is believed.
There are different types of bruxism:
- Primary bruxism
- Secondary bruxism
- Medication-induced
- Due to narcotics
- Sleep bruxism
- Awake bruxism
- Combined bruxism
Treatment for bruxism
Once the problem has been identified, certain guidelines and recommendations are followed to solve the bruxism:
- Mild bruxism: In this case your dentist will recommend reducing stress, one of the main causes of this condition.
- Severe bruxism: In this case, the use of unloading splints is recommended.
The unloading splint is a plastic or acrylic resin sleeve made to fit the patient’s mouth, mainly to prevent continuous wear of the teeth due to bruxism. Its shape is very similar to those used as a retention treatment after orthodontic treatment.
Patients should wear the splint during the times of the day or night when they are most likely to grind or clench their teeth. This will prevent the very serious problem of tooth wear and muscle pain in the jaw from clenching too hard.
Tips for cleaning and maintenance of an unloading splint
To clean the splint, it is recommended to use a small brush with soft bristles that allows cleaning the smallest spaces, but at the same time does not damage the material of the splint.
The ideal is to make light circular movements to remove dirt. Immersing the splint in a container of water while carefully rubbing it can help the cleaning to be more effective, but it is not recommended to leave the splint soaking for a long time.
You can also use a neutral soap, which in itself helps to obtain very good results, but there are also effervescent cleaning tablets specifically for cleaning splints.