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RON STUBBS Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) by Beverly Bryant Cht Have you ever been told to "Bite the bullet", "Grin and bear it", "Keep a stiff upper lip" or "Hold on tight".These are just a few, of the many cliché's that people have used throughout the years that will send a signal to your brain to, "bite down". You may already know that people process language in word pictures. So, when someone speaks to us and we are processing that information, we think of pictures that their words represent for us. Our subconscious mind may follow up on it, "literally"; maybe you have had to "bite back words". Bruxism comes from the Greek word "brychein" or gnashing of teeth. It involves any contact between the teeth that is forceful. Doing it while we are asleep is called Sleep Bruxism and can be very loud. Estimates of people who suffer from this condition vary greatly. It has been said the range is from 50% to 95%. Millions of people suffer from it. This is not only in the adult population; it is also common in our young children. Now, look at your watch, clench your teeth or bite down hard and count off ten seconds. (don't feel obligated to do this). Seems like that 10 seconds took forever didn't it? Notice how your jaw feels? How did your teeth feel during the experience? Imagine if you were to do this while you slept every other night 4 to 6 HOURS! or even once a week. We can put up to 600 lbs per square foot of pressure on our teeth. That is approximately the equivalent of a Lincoln Continental running over your bare, unprotected foot. One of my clients bruxed enough to break a titanium post! OUCH! In our stressed out society Bruxism has become a real concern for our dentists. My dentist would like me to get a night guard just in case I Brux. A lot of people don't know they grind their teeth unless someone who sleeps with the bruxer speaks up. The partners sleep may be interrupted by the bruxer and wake them up, or tell them the next morning. So, how would you know you brux if you don't sleep with someone? Or if that someone doesn't wake up when you are bruxing?
Your dentist can tell whether or not you are bruxing by; how your teeth are wearing down, unusual bone density, flattened tooth surfaces, loosened and cracked teeth, or enamel loss. It can even be so severe that it can cause tooth loss, TMJ, (temporomandibular joint disease, or even hearing impairments. What can be done about it? The most common course of treatment is the night guard, usually prescribed by your dentist. The night guard will address the symptoms, not the cause of teeth grinding and clenching. This device works for people when it is used. Some people don't use it after they get one. Common complaints may include discomfort. Perhaps a night guard is used for a while with good intention. Or it may be used sporadically. Whatever the case may be, the bottom line is; When it is used the success rate is good; at least the partner can get some sleep. Sadly, more often than not this approximately $300.00 to $750.00 device sometimes goes to waste. There are a few more treatments that can be tried that are not as common.
Bruxism is the third most common sleep disorder. After snoring and talking while sleeping. It has been said that everyone bruxes, the question is, to what extent? Studies have shown that bruxist behavior may vary greatly from night to night and is correlated with the individuals daily level of stress. What causes Bruxism? The exact cause is unknown. Some researchers will say if a persons bite is not correct they will brux. Others say that it is a central nervous system disorder, or it is a multifaceted problem.
Stress is a major factor in our lives and can cause feelings of anger, anxiety and pain. A good stress reduction program including, autohypnosis or meditation has been proven to help keep our stress levels down. One study suggests that bruxism clients have a diminished ability to recognize when they are under stress. This may occur because chronic bruxism clients are constantly overreacting to stress and therefore cannot determine when stress increases. The client simply has never learned to recognize or attend to the physiologic changes that occur in the body during stressful situations. Reports have demonstrated that increased levels of stress were strongly correlated with masseter, (large chewing) muscle tension and is directly related to stressful daytime situations. The reports also showed an increase in masseter muscle activity during the night. The use of guided imagery is becoming more widely accepted among mental health care providers and is gaining acceptance as a powerful tool within a number of medical disciplines. The strength of the influence in using guided imagery has found that; patients who used a guided imagery tape prior to surgery experienced less pain and less anxiety. Children and Bruxism In most cases Bruxism doesn't hurt a child's teeth with many cases going undetected, although some may have earaches or morning headaches. Some children grind because the top and bottom teeth are not aligned properly. Others grind to relieve pain of teething or an earache. Stress is another cause. Usually children can be helped with a warm bath or doing something to relax before bedtime. Talking to your child to make sure there isn't any undo stress is always a good idea. Usually bruxism will be outgrown by the time the child reaches adolescence. At the beginning of this article I wrote about the cliché's that program us to, "hold onto" our stresses. When we were told to "buck up and bite the bullet", people thought that by encouraging us to handle our stresses they were helping us. Typically those might have been the only available options at the time and they were perfectly safe to us, or so we might have once thought. Now by using new research in how the brain processes information, we have many new tools at our disposal in which to make changes. Here are a few suggestions for new techniques that will provide a more positive outcome. Based on the individual client's needs, teaching self-hypnosis and some forms of diversion therapy are two of the most common techniques that I use. Diversion Therapy: I always let my client come up with his or her own diversions as they are much more apt to act upon their own suggestions than ones the therapist would use. In this case, we would take the undesirable action, i.e., clenching, and add a trigger or anchor to promote a new positive behavior, i.e., we replace it with something else. Example: I had a client that stressed out while driving and noticed he was clenching. To divert himself, he would change the stations on the radio and use the new stimulus or action as a signal to remember to relax his jaw. Another client when noticing herself clenching, would go for a walk. As an added benefit she also lost a few pounds on the way. Any diversion used in consistency has a lasting affect. Self-hypnosis: Now, imagine going to bed tonight and as your head gently lies upon the pillow, you say to yourself, "relax"… And when you do this your jaw becomes so totally relaxed, your lips can't help but part in their own natural position. That's right…And at any time during the night when your subconscious feels your jaw start to tighten, that will be your secret signal for your jaw to relax even more… Beverly Bryant Cht, CI, is a registered Hypnotherapist in Washington State. She is an instructor at Everett College and is the Vice President of the Washington State chapter of the National Guild of Hypnotists. She has a private practice in Everett WA and can be reached at bev.bryant@verizon.net. Look for Bev's newest self-hypnosis and guided imagery CD "Relief From Bruxism" available now. Contact her for more details. *Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not to be used for medical care. If you have a specific concern, please contact your medical professional.
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