Dental Nightguard – Your Bruxism Guide Dental Nightguard – learn how to treat bruxism!

Bruxism Effects Extend To Other Parts Of The Body

Bruxism is an affliction where the jaws are clenched and grinding of the teeth occurs. It occurs in most people at some period of their lives but is usually a passing phase and does not result in any health issues. It is an unconscious habit that can occur either during the day or at night; the bruxism effects on the health of an individual are greatest when the clenching and grinding occurs while asleep. While bruxism is not a disease but more of an uncontrollable habit, it can, if it continues for a long period, affect the overall health and lead to other medical problems arising.

There are a variety of ways that bruxism can affect the health and these are categorized as either short term or long term effects. In the short term, the most common bruxism effects range from aching facial and jaw muscles, difficulty in being able to open the mouth completely, earaches, severe and regular headaches, loose and damaged teeth, sleep deprivation and pain in the shoulders and neck. In the majority of cases, as the bruxism fades away, usually as a natural process or sometimes because of medical intervention, these symptoms and effects also disappear on their own. One often overlooked affect of bruxism is the way it can damage a relationship. The grinding of the teeth and disturbed sleep of the patient can affect the sleep patterns of a spouse or partner to the extent that the patient begins to sleep aone and this could, in the long run, seriously damage a relationship.

The long term bruxism effects can become major health issues requiring extensive treatment, often including surgery to correct bone and muscular degeneration. The most common and obvious bruxism effect is the damage to the teeth by the grinding – worn and broken teeth are common in those who have suffered from bruxism for a long time. While this can be repaired through orthodontic surgery and the fitting of caps, false teeth or complete dentures, nothing can be done until the symptoms of bruxism completely disappear. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ is a more serious complication from the point of view of long term health complications- the stress the bruxism places on the joints and muscles of the jaws, neck and shoulders can affect mobility. While these problems may be cured by physiotherapy, in many cases long term medication and even invasive treatment is often called for.

Bruxism is not a life threatening health problem but it is a serious one and should not be taken from granted. Bruxism effects are not limited to just the mouth and jaw but, as mentioned above, can extend to other parts of the body and become the cause of other health issues.