Bruxism
Bruxism
Kelsey Thies
Carrington College
English 113
May 11, 2012
Ms. Sommerville
Bruxism
Although it is a common daily struggle for masses of people, most do not realize that they are struggling with bruxism. Occasional grinding is not harmful for your teeth but grinding every day or night is. If healthcare providers would teach patients about bruxism a great deal of cases could be prevented and/or stopped. Just reducing stress and anxiety in your life will help cope with bruxism (Williams, 2009).
“Bruxism is when you clench (tightly hold your top and bottom teeth together) or grind (slide your teeth back and forth over each other) your teeth” (Adam, 2012). Bruxism can be painful. People that have bruxism while sleeping may wake up with headaches, a sore jaw, and may even have insomnia. A person may also have bruxism habits during the day and not realize what is happening at the time. Eating disorders, a poor diet, depression, and anxiety are all symptoms of bruxism. Although everyone is different, most people do not realize that clenching of the jaw is a serious issue. Healthcare providers should inform patients about bruxism (Adam, 2012).
People typically are not checked for bruxism because they think it is not important or do not know the importance of this parafunctional habit. Many individuals think that they are having ear infections, problems with there TMJ (temporomandibular joint), or dental disorders. Although it is able to cause permanent damage to the teeth, bruxism is not a life threatening disorder (Adam, 2012).
There are several treatment options for bruxism. “The goals of treatment are to reduce pain, prevent permanent damage to the teeth, and reduce clenching as much as possible” (Adam, 2012). Plenty of the treatment options are activities people use to live a healthy lifestyle. They include drinking plenty of water daily, getting enough sleep every night, and reducing daily stress. Counseling, starting to exercise
Kelsey Thies
Carrington College
English 113
May 11, 2012
Ms. Sommerville
Bruxism
Although it is a common daily struggle for masses of people, most do not realize that they are struggling with bruxism. Occasional grinding is not harmful for your teeth but grinding every day or night is. If healthcare providers would teach patients about bruxism a great deal of cases could be prevented and/or stopped. Just reducing stress and anxiety in your life will help cope with bruxism (Williams, 2009).
“Bruxism is when you clench (tightly hold your top and bottom teeth together) or grind (slide your teeth back and forth over each other) your teeth” (Adam, 2012). Bruxism can be painful. People that have bruxism while sleeping may wake up with headaches, a sore jaw, and may even have insomnia. A person may also have bruxism habits during the day and not realize what is happening at the time. Eating disorders, a poor diet, depression, and anxiety are all symptoms of bruxism. Although everyone is different, most people do not realize that clenching of the jaw is a serious issue. Healthcare providers should inform patients about bruxism (Adam, 2012).
People typically are not checked for bruxism because they think it is not important or do not know the importance of this parafunctional habit. Many individuals think that they are having ear infections, problems with there TMJ (temporomandibular joint), or dental disorders. Although it is able to cause permanent damage to the teeth, bruxism is not a life threatening disorder (Adam, 2012).
There are several treatment options for bruxism. “The goals of treatment are to reduce pain, prevent permanent damage to the teeth, and reduce clenching as much as possible” (Adam, 2012). Plenty of the treatment options are activities people use to live a healthy lifestyle. They include drinking plenty of water daily, getting enough sleep every night, and reducing daily stress. Counseling, starting to exercise
References: ADAM. (2012). Bruxism. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002386/ Williams, D. (2009, March 15). Dental health and teeth grinding (bruxism). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-grinding-bruxism