By A/Prof Adrian Yap, Consultant Prosthodontist

While some people grind their hips on dance floors, many others grind their teeth away in bedrooms. The latter, known as sleep bruxism, occurs most commonly in people from their teens to their 40s.

About 30% of the population suffers from it. It is the third most common sleep disorder after snoring and sleep talking. Most people who grind and clench their teeth in their sleep during childhood will continue to do so when they are adults. Many sufferers are unaware of their destructive sleep-time habits. The force produced during sleep bruxism is seven to eight times that of one’s normal chewing force! This results in significant damage to the teeth, muscles and jaw joints.

Sleep bruxism can result in tooth fracture, loosening, sensitivity and wear that can drastically change one’s smile and look (Figure 1). It may also lead to headaches, over-developed facial muscles (Figure 2), jaw pain and chewing problems as well as unexplained ear symptoms including ear pain, ringing and congestion.

Although the exact cause of bruxism is not known, stress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, caffeine and use of certain medications/drugs have been associated with it.

Management of bruxism is usually directed towards tooth restoration or protection, reduction of bruxing activity and pain relief. Medication, psychological approaches and dental strategies are used to treat the problem.

Medication

Muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs and other medications have been tried but few have been found to reduce bruxing activity in sleep studies.

Medical (Psychological)

The psychological approaches to bruxism include behavioral therapy, relaxation, stress management, hypnotherapy and biofeedback.

Dental Strategies

Dental treatments for bruxism usually take the form of bite and/or splint (mouthguard) therapy. Dental splints (Figure 3) stabilise/improve functions of the jaw joints, reduce abnormal jaw muscle activity/ muscle pain and/or protect teeth. They are custom made from hard or soft plastics and are worn just before going to bed.

Although dental splints do not stop bruxism completely, they limit the damage of bruxism and have been shown to help alleviate headaches, jaw pain and jaw joint problems. As the cost of a splint is significantly lower than that of crowns and implants needed to replace damaged teeth, people with sleep bruxism cannot afford to go to bed without some form of “protection”.

If you suffer from bruxism or know of someone who suffers from it, contact us for an appointment today.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call our appointment hotlines or email us at dental@raffleshospital.com