{"id":5272,"date":"2024-05-01T22:51:38","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T20:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/sin-categorizar\/what-is-bruxism-and-what-is-its-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T12:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:13:15","slug":"what-is-bruxism-and-what-is-its-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/dental-care\/what-is-bruxism-and-what-is-its-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"What is bruxism and what is its treatment?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bruxism is a condition in which a person unconsciously clenches their jaw and even grinds their teeth. It usually occurs while we sleep and can cause various problems such as muscle pain, headaches, and tooth wear. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes of bruxism<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Oral disorders. Some problems that can lead to bruxism include a broken tooth that rubs against another, missing teeth that cause the others to move, or a misaligned bite. To resolve this, it is advisable to see a dentist so they can identify the problems and apply the most appropriate treatment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sleep disorders.<\/strong>  By affecting sleep quality, it is possible to create tension in the jaw.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anxiety or stress.<\/strong> This is the most common type. After facing various anxiety-inducing situations, we accumulate them throughout the day until nightfall, which can lead to jaw tension and, consequently, grinding. It&#8217;s difficult to eliminate stressors, but we can learn to manage them.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.<\/strong> Existen estudios que afirman que el consumo habitual de alcohol, cafe\u00edna y tabaco aumentan la probabilidad de tener bruxismo el doble que si no se consumiesen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who does it affect?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In general, it affects both sexes and people of all ages, although it is most common between the ages of 15 and 25. It usually resolves on its own, but it can become chronic and, consequently, cause tooth wear. It can also lead to sleep disturbances.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on the way you press on your teeth, bruxism can be:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Central.<\/strong> The teeth are clenched at a specific point, with very little movement to the sides, so the most affected part is the neck of the teeth, especially the premolars.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eccentric.<\/strong> There is an oblique movement in which the teeth rub together, back and forth, causing wear to the tooth enamel. The teeth most affected are the incisors. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can occur during the day, unconsciously and when stressed; or also at night during sleep, in the second and third stages of non-REM sleep. Bruxism episodes at night can last from 15 to 40 minutes in total, during an 8-hour sleep period. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to avoid it?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since it&#8217;s an unconscious disorder, the person who has it doesn&#8217;t do it intentionally. To prevent it, the first thing we need to do is identify the underlying causes, which can include sleep disorders, anxiety, stress, an abnormal bite, missing teeth, etc. If the cause is found, we can eliminate bruxism. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While we work to eliminate the cause, the ideal approach is to find remedies to prevent the problem from worsening. If it&#8217;s daytime bruxism, you should consciously try not to clench or grind your teeth. If this isn&#8217;t possible, a mouthguard can be used to prevent it.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If bruxism occurs at night, consciously controlling it will be more difficult. For this reason, it is recommended to use night guards to prevent teeth grinding, noise, or erosion. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms of bruxism<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In bruxism, a person clenches their teeth against the tissues, muscles, and other structures in the jaw. Many symptoms are associated with this condition, such as: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sensitivity in muscles and teeth.<\/strong> Especially in the morning. It&#8217;s common to experience sensitivity to the temperature of food and drinks, or even when chewing, if there is any tooth decay. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pain in the teeth, jaw, neck, and head.<\/strong> Applying pressure to the area creates tension in the surrounding areas, causing pain and inflammation. Sometimes, the pain can even reach the ears. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Changes in the bite.<\/strong> It is common that, when continuous pressure is exerted on the jaw, the bite we originally had is modified.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fracture or wear on the teeth or enamel.<\/strong> If you continuously press on the same area, the teeth there will weaken and, therefore, injuries with more serious consequences will occur.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cervical problems.<\/strong> As a result of strong pressure on the jaw, cervical contractures may occur due to the proximity between both structures, and therefore vertigo or dizziness may appear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Insomnia.<\/strong> Sleep quality can be impaired, ranging from inadequate to very poor, due to pressure or tension in the jaw.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consequences of bruxism<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is true that some people do not show symptoms, but this pathology can cause:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Headaches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tension<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Temporomandibular joint problems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insomnia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tooth sensitivity to sweet foods, heat, and cold<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatment<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The treatment of bruxism is based on preventing abnormal tooth movement in order to stop enamel wear and allow it to recover, as well as addressing any physical or psychological causes that may have caused it.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When enamel damage is obvious and nighttime bruxism is present, the most recommended treatment is a <strong>night guard<\/strong>. A night guard is a prosthesis that fits over the person&#8217;s teeth, is worn at night, and prevents teeth grinding and further enamel erosion. While using a night guard helps to slow tooth decay, it does not restrict tooth movement.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If <strong>anxiety <\/strong>is causing bruxism, the most important thing is for the person to find different ways to cope with it, such as relaxation techniques, massages in the jaw area, proper sleep hygiene, and even, if necessary, the use of anxiolytic, hypnotic, or muscle relaxant drugs.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is best to visit the dentist if you suspect you have bruxism, in order to prevent the problem from worsening and find the most appropriate solution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bruxism is a condition in which a person unconsciously clenches their jaw and even grinds their teeth. It usually occurs while we sleep and can cause various problems such as muscle pain, headaches, and tooth wear. Causes of bruxism Who does it affect? In general, it affects both sexes and people of all ages, although [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dental-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5272"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5273,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5272\/revisions\/5273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acostacubero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}