Cure for Bruxism

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Treating Bruxism Through Hypnosis

Right now, hypnosis is used to treat a lot of behavioral problems. And during the recent years, experts are taking advantage of its use for bruxism. Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is that annoying sound people unknowingly make while asleep.

Bruxism can be caused by a lot of factors. Research show that bruxism could develop due to the physical defects of the jaws and teeth. However, stress is also a big factor why people grind their teeth at night. And it is also on this cause where hypnosis is most effective at.

Practitioners say that hypnosis is the best solution to bruxism caused by jaw tension. While a night guard may do a good job in preventing denture damages, it cannot reduce the pain in the head and the neck that are also caused by teeth grinding.

Bruxism patients are required to attend a 30-minute hypnosis session to correct the problem. The therapy could be just one session or more, depending upon the patient's mental stature. Inside the session, the subconscious of the patient are be taught to feel the sensation created when the upper and lower teeth touches each other. And the moment that happens, the mind is instructed to relax the jaw muscles and create a comfortable space between the teeth.

For people who find going to a therapist a little too much on their budget, they could opt for a bruxism hypnosis CD instead. The CD is best used before sleeping so it is easier to achieve a state of total relaxation. Some people report that using a hypnosis CD is as effective as the one conducted personally by a hypnotherapist.

On the average, patients who subjected themselves to hypnosis session for bruxism claim that they experience relief two to three nights after the therapy session. Luckier patients go through immediate relief. This means that right at the night of the therapy session, they don't grind their teeth any longer.

However, it is important to note that hypnosis, just like other treatment methods, is a healing process. Patients should not be too impatient on the results of the therapy. It could take some time to work, especially on people whose minds are not too accommodative to these types of treatment procedures.

If you want to try hypnosis as a permanent solution to bruxism, talk to a hypnotic expert whose proficiency lies on the treatment of bruxism. Local therapists who had gained reputation in the practice are your best choices.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Complete Information on Burning mouth syndrome

| by Abraham Galvin | July 07, 2008

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a condition that causes pain in the mouth, lips or tongue without any clear reason. There are often no visible signs of irritation. The cause of the syndrome may be caused by the onset of menopause to vitamin deficiencies. Both men and women can get BMS. About 5% of the population, usually people over the age of 60 are affected with this condition. Personality and mood changes (especially anxiety and depression) have been consistently demonstrated in patients with burning mouth syndrome and have been used to suggest that the disorder is a psychogenic problem.

Burning mouth syndrome has not been linked to any specific medical condition, associations with a wide variety of concurrent health conditions and chronic pain conditions, involved headaches. Using blink reflex and thermal quantitative sensory tests have demonstrated signs of neuropathy in most people with burning mouth syndrome. Hormonal changes are still considered to be important factors in burning mouth syndrome. Other possible causes of BMS include nutritional deficiencies, allergies, certain medications, certain medical conditions, hormonal changes during menopause and dry mouth.

Treatment of burning mouth syndrome is highly individualized and depends on your particular signs and symptoms and on the underlying cause or causes. Treatment triggers improvement in symptoms for most people with burning mouth syndrome. Use of low dosages of clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium)13 and tricyclic antidepressants. Capsaicin (hot pepper) mouth rinses may also help some people with BMS. Thioctic acid may be a treatment for burning mouth syndrome. Burning mouth syndrome (BMS): double blind controlled study of alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) therapy.

Avoiding foods that contain allergens that may irritate the tissues of your mouth may help. Tongue thrusting and teeth grinding (bruxism) can be helped with mouth guards, medications and relaxation techniques. There are many other tips is helpful this condition. Brush your teeth/dentures with baking soda and water. Avoid alcohol and tobacco products. Avoid irritating substances like hot, spicy foods; mouthwashes that contain alcohol; and products high in acid, like citrus fruits and juices.

About the Author

Abraham Galvin writes articles for health problems. She also writes articles for haircuts ideas and know how to get perfect hairstyles.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Treatment approaches for bruxism in children

Bruxism is a destructive habit that may result in severe dental deterioration. Therefore, it is mandatory to take your child to your dentist for evaluation of bruxism.

Sleep problems are frequent among healthy school going children seen at general pediatric practice. Sleep related problems were reported in 42.7% children that included nocturnal enuresis (18.4%), sleep talking (14.6%), bruxism (11.6%) nightmares (6.8%), night terrors (2.9%) snoring (5.8%) and sleepwalking (1.9%). Bruxism is a destructive habit. It is defined as the nonproductive diurnal or nocturnal clenching or grinding of the teeth. Bruxism happens in about 15 percent of youngsters and in as many as 96 percent of grown-ups. The etiology of bruxism is unclear. It has been linked with stress, occlusal disorders, allergies and sleep positioning. In addition, type A personality behavior combined with stress is more predictive of bruxism. Because of its nonspecific pathology, bruxism may be difficult to diagnose. Beside complaints from sleep partners, clenching-grinding, sleep bruxism, myofacial pain, craniomaxillofacial musculoskeletal pain, temporomandibular disorders, oro-facial pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue spectrum disorders are linked. The main clinical signs of bruxism comprise tooth wear, tooth mobility, hypertrophy masticatory muscles, and tender joints. Other symptoms of bruxism are multiple and diverse. They include temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction, head and neck pain, erosion, abrasion, loss of and damage to supporting structures, headaches, oral infection, tooth sensitivity muscle pain and spasm, disturbance of aesthetics, and interference and oral discomfort.
Treatment for bruxism may be simple or complex, depending on the nature of the disorder. Severe bruxism disorders are difficult to treat and their prognoses also may be questionable. Children with bruxism are generally managed with observation and reassurance. Most of the children's bruxism habit will disappear naturally as they grow up. Adults may be managed with stress reduction therapy, modification of sleep positioning, drug therapy, biofeedback training, physical therapy and dental evaluation. Correction of the malocclusion with orthodontic procedures, restorative procedures, or occlusal adjustment by selective grinding will not control the bruxism habit.

What about prevention? Researchers have found only a weak correlation between different types of morphologic malocclusion such as Class II and III molar relationship, deep bite, overjet, and dental wear or grinding. Moreover, there is no correlation between periodontal disease and bruxism in children. Because the malocclusions' status in children does not increase the probability of bruxism, early orthodontic treatment (braces) to prevent bruxism is not scientifically justified. Bruxism is a destructive habit that may result in severe dental deterioration. Bruxism in childhood may be a persistent trait. The occlusal trauma and tooth wear in childhood bruxism can be succeeded by increased anterior tooth wear 20 years later. If your child has significant tooth attrition, dental mobility or tooth fracture may happen. Therefore, it is mandatory to take your child to your dentist for evaluation of bruxism.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For more information, contact Dr. Nguyen at drnguyen@softdental.com or visit www.softdental.com.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

How to Stop Bruxism – is There a Permanent Cure for Bruxism

Are you trying to find out how to stop bruxism? Is there really a cure for bruxism that can treat bruxism permanently?

Well, it depends on what are the causes of your teeth grinding. Depending on the causes, the treatment meted out will be different.

Here are some common causes and treatment of bruxism:

1) Stress

It is said that stress is the number one cause of bruxism. In this situation, the most obvious cure is to work on your stress level. There are many things that you can do to reduce stress.

Exercises like yoga and taiji are very effective in relieving stress. You may even try to relax before you sleep by listening to some relaxing music. If your conditon is caused by stress, this approach can be very effective in stopping bruxism.

2) Drugs

Certain drugs may cause bruxism as a side effect. Consult your doctors and dentists and find out what is the actual problem. If the drugs are causing you to grind your teeth at night, sometimes, all that is necessary is for your doctor to change the drug that you are consuming.

3) Defect in your teeth structure

Sometimes, dental problems can also cause bruxism. A possible treatment may be to perform surgery to correct your teeth structure. You will want to consult your dentist about it.

What happens if the methods described above doesn't stop bruxism. In such a situation, you dentist may give you a night guard for you to wear inside your mouth. However, this is not a permanent solution as you are still grinding your teeth. The only difference is that now, you are damaging the mouth guard instead of your own teeth.

While bruxism is not a very serious disease, you should try to stop bruxism as soon as possible it as it can lead to very serious, long term damage to your teeth if you don't start doing something about it now.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bruxism: Is It A Disease Or An Uncontrolled Behavior?

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. It can be considered both as a disease and as an uncontrolled behavior. Bruxism is defined as the act of consciously or unconsciously clenching one's teeth during the day or while sleeping.

People suffering from bruxism are rarely aware of their condition, especially if they tend to grind their teeth at night. Oftentimes, it is their roommates or their sleeping partners that are affected by their condition the most. Teeth clenching during the night may disrupt the patient's and another person's sleep, much to their discomfort. Teeth grinding comes in different levels of severity.

With that said, bruxism is officially classified as a medical and a dental problem. Doctors believe that teeth grinding may be caused by stress suffered during the day carried out throughout the night. It may also be due to the following psychological concerns: frustration, anger, and an aggressive personality. Physically, bruxism may be caused by the abnormal alignment and development of teeth and jaws. Or it can be caused by other diseases and may show up as a side effect of certain drugs and medications.

To treat bruxism, it is important for patients consult both a doctor and a dentist. The dentist is normally the first stop. The dentist would check the extent of the patient's teeth grinding activities and would evaluate if it were caused by the defects in the structure of the jaws and teeth. If it were, then the dentist would proceed with the proper course of treatment right then and there. Otherwise, the patient would be referred to a medical professional or a psychologist to address the problem.

The cure for bruxism caused by physical defects on the teeth and jaws is surgery. For some patients, the use of night guards is sufficient. Bruxism may give way to total denture damage if not treated right away. And that could mean thousands of dollars in reconstructive dental restoration. For kids, intensive treatment courses are rarely necessary because they usually outgrow the condition.

Bruxism caused by stress and other psychological problems are best addressed with behavior correction therapies. Here, the patient is subjected to a series of counseling in order to condition their minds away from the roots of the problem.

If bruxism is caused by medical concerns like an underlying disease, or if it developed as a side effect, a medical practitioner will be tasked to find the cure. A different set of medications with minimal or no side effects may be given to the patient, if it were diagnosed that the bruxism is the side effect of certain drugs. Oral medications that relax the jaws and facial muscles may be prescribed as well.

More than anything else, bruxism is a health concern. It is not advisable for patients to simply ignore it or live with it. Bruxism has to be addressed right on its onset. This is to make sure that complications like severe head pains are prevented.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Treatment Approaches for Bruxism in Children

Sleep problems are frequent among healthy school going children seen at general pediatric practice. Sleep related problems were reported in 42.7% children that included nocturnal enuresis (18.4%), sleep talking (14.6%), bruxism (11.6%) nightmares (6.8%), night terrors (2.9%) snoring (5.8%) and sleepwalking (1.9%). Bruxism is a destructive habit. It is defined as the nonproductive diurnal or nocturnal clenching or grinding of the teeth.

Bruxism happens in about 15 percent of youngsters and in as many as 96 percent of grown-ups. The etiology of bruxism is unclear. It has been linked with stress, occlusal disorders, allergies and sleep positioning. In addition, type A personality behavior combined with stress is more predictive of bruxism. Because of its nonspecific pathology, bruxism may be difficult to diagnose.

Beside complaints from sleep partners, clenching-grinding, sleep bruxism, myofacial pain, craniomaxillofacial musculoskeletal pain, temporomandibular disorders, oro-facial pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue spectrum disorders are linked. The main clinical signs of bruxism comprise tooth wear, tooth mobility, hypertrophy masticatory muscles, and tender joints. Other symptoms of bruxism are multiple and diverse. They include temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction, head and neck pain, erosion, abrasion, loss of and damage to supporting structures, headaches, oral infection, tooth sensitivity muscle pain and spasm, disturbance of aesthetics, and interference and oral discomfort.

Treatment for bruxism may be simple or complex, depending on the nature of the disorder. Severe bruxism disorders are difficult to treat and their prognoses also may be questionable. Children with bruxism are generally managed with observation and reassurance. Most of the children's bruxism habit will disappear naturally as they grow up. Adults may be managed with stress reduction therapy, modification of sleep positioning, drug therapy, biofeedback training, physical therapy and dental evaluation. Correction of the malocclusion with orthodontic procedures, restorative procedures, or occlusal adjustment by selective grinding will not control the bruxism habit.

What about prevention? Researchers have found only a weak correlation between different types of morphologic malocclusion such as Class II and III molar relationship, deep bite, overjet, and dental wear or grinding. Moreover, there is no correlation between periodontal disease and bruxism in children. Because the malocclusions' status in children does not increase the probability of bruxism, early orthodontic treatment (braces) to prevent bruxism is not scientifically justified.

Bruxism is a destructive habit that may result in severe dental deterioration. Bruxism in childhood may be a persistent trait. The occlusal trauma and tooth wear in childhood bruxism can be succeeded by increased anterior tooth wear 20 years later. If your child has significant tooth attrition, dental mobility or tooth fracture may happen. Therefore, it is mandatory to take your child to your dentist for evaluation of bruxism.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Bruxism and Depression: is There a Link?

Author: Jay Sanders

Bruxism is the medical term given to the ghastly habit of grinding the teeth. Most people who are suffering from this condition don't know about it, for they usually clench their teeth during their sleep. Several studies show that bruxism may be related to a person's state of mind. Depressed individuals tend to grind their teeth while they sleep for certain reasons. In a certain medical research, it was found out that bruxism could be a person's response to hidden aggressions, anxieties, and fears. People who tend to keep their emotions to themselves are likely to express it in some other ways. And so during the night, they unconsciously and uncontrollably gnash their teeth. Depressed individuals, especially those who are not aware of their condition, tend to turn to alcohol to forget about their problems. This is another reason they tend to suffer from bruxism. Alcohol is known to aggravate bruxism. To treat teeth grinding due to depression, the role of are nutrition, therapy, and anti-depressants come into play. Calcium is the nutrient most recommended for depressed patients suffering from bruxism. It is advisable for such patients to follow a high-calcium diet to help regulate the involuntary movement of their jaw muscles. However, calcium rich foods from dairy products are not enough. It is also important to take in magnesium that is commonly found in wholegrain, so that calcium can be assimilated. Both calcium and magnesium can correct the poor functions of the muscles and helps calm and control the central nervous system. Depression patients are advised to go through their regular counseling sessions to fully address their condition. This is best coupled with behavioral correction therapies that can help treat tooth grinding as well. Psychiatrists may prescribe antidepressant drugs to their patients. It is essential to take these drugs regularly as per the instructions of the health expert. There are also herbal remedies that can help address the cases of teeth grinding that is related to depression. The use of natural herbs and teas can help a lot in releasing tension, stress, and anxiety. The herbs of choice that works especially for this purpose are passionflower, peppermint, hops, fennel, and lemon balm. Drink any of these teas an hour before going to bed for a more relaxed, restful sleep. Teeth grinding and emotional problems are interrelated. This is the reason why it is very important to know the root cause of the bruxism for the proper treatment to be carried out. A healthy state of mind and good balance of emotions can help a lot in managing teeth grinding and its effects on one's health.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/dental-care-articles/bruxism-and-depression-is-there-a-link-500906.html

About the Author:
Find out more about grinding teeth , its causes and symptoms, treatments for teeth grinding and mouth night guards at TeethGrindingCure.com!