Bruxism: Myth and Truth

The Myth:

According to the myth, bruxism is a mysterious killer, it is often very harmful to teeth, the chewing apparatus and health in general. It is often the cause of failure in implantology. The causes of bruxism are unknown but emotional stress and tension are part of the myth. A mythical and widely-adopted treatment of bruxism is the BITE, or plates, night splint, bite plane, bite guard. Many authors have described it and the name given to its bite.

The Truth:

Bruxism is the grinding or clenching of teeth , teeth chafing, gnashing of teeth, teeth grinding. It is the violent and noisy rubbing of upper teeth against the lower teeth lasting a few seconds.
This occurs predominantly during sleep, always and only in those people who sleep lying face downwards on the bed, on their stomach or on their hips, as they weigh heavily with static load on their jaws.
Bruxism is not a movement aimed at one purpose. It is an oral parafunctional activity Bruxism is an unusual activity that has a simple scientific explanation because It results from a physiological and highly functional activity: Spontaneous Deglutition or Spontaneous Swallowing . Usually, in the rest position and in the absence of disease, the jaw is centered, balanced and suspended under the skull while muscles are relaxed, balanced and tonic, condyles are symmetrical in their position in articular cavities, teeth are not in contact, and enjoy the Benefits of inactivity.
Every 4 minutes during waking, but even during sleep, for life is automatically activated a Spontaneous Swallowing, which is innate reflex , unconscious and unconditional. This precious gift of nature and health can only occur whether the jaw is free to move and make contact with the teeth in the right position, in anatomical and functional harmony with the other chewing elements.

In wrong sleeping position ( sleep stomach, face down) the weight of the head pushes the mandibula to lateral occlusion and exerts non-stop compression ( for many hours)on the teeth, gum, periodontium and TMJ , therefore obstructing blood circulation and moving the teeth to a bad occlusion position(TMJD). In order to swallow, masticatory muscles must activate themselves to center the jaw and then they must bring the teeth from forced lateral malocclusion to centered occlusion (maximum Intercuspidation occlusion), rubbing , grinding teeth between them, THIS IS THE CAUSE OF NOCTURNAL BRUXISM and negative trophic action on the gum , periodontium and TMJ disfunction.

Throughout the night the Neuromuscular component, instead of being relaxed, has pledged to oppose the thrust of the weight that lies heavily on the jaw This is the real reason FOR the BRUXISM is especially active during sleep. The teeth are pushed sideways for hours, months, years move sideways, their movement generates a bad occlusion. THE RELATIONSHIP disharmony between the teeth and the imbalance of the jaw can also cause bruxism during the day in an attempt to reposition the teeth. The rubbing causes tooth facet wear but also mobility and Parodontal disease pyorrhoea .
Compression lasting all night on the teeth, face and mandibular joints, prevents the circulation of blood in all components, in particular in support of the teeth (periodontium). The ischemia and dystrophy, which might ensue cause suffering to all the anatomical components of chewing. The joints , which are under pressure all night , are subject to structural and functional damage , hence they deform. This explains why Bruxism is often associated to limitations, pain, buzzing and crackling, clicks, teeth chafing, gnashing of teeth, teeth grinding and dysfunction of the jaw joint, TMJ, persistent face pimples, headache, migraine, hum, tinnitus, cervical and lumbar pain from postural problems, gingivitis, parodontitis, pyorrhoea.
Stress and psychological problems are not the cause but pro-factors.

Therapy with BITE is a palliative and is often ineffective because it does not eliminate the cause and obstructs tooth repositioning. It would be better to fix the decubitus and allow Spontaneous Swallowing, which is a useful exercise that improves movement and returns, harmonizes, strengthens and stabilizes the teeth in the jaw bones, remodels joints and relocates the jaw. SPONTANEOUS SWALLOWING IS A HEALTHY, BALANCING BIOMECHANISM AND GRADUALLY HAS miraculous LIFE-SAVING EFFECTS IN JUST A FEW MONTHS

(See Health and Sleeping positions).

Doctor Galiffa