The Bruxism Alternative Solution...

There have been several causes related to bruxism. They range from stress to certain medications.

Stress

Certainly in this crazy, fast paced, world that we live, an adult can use the stress reasoning. Stress manifests itself in certain ways in the human body and bruxism can be a result of that. To combat stress there are several things that you can do. Listening to music before you go to sleep can be very relaxing. Taking up exercises like yoga can also help in this matter. But what does a child know about stress? Absolutely nothing!

When it comes to bruxism in children, it can be attributed to TMJ(the temporomandibular joint). This joint is vital to the movement of the jaw. With bruxism in a child, most medical professionals attribute it to a TMJ disorder. If the child has the disorder, then surgery can likely fix the problem. But that is something that you will have to discuss with your family physician.

Medication

Certain medications can cause bruxism. Anti-depressants used in the treatment of certain personality disorders, anxiety disorders and depression, are attributed to this side-effect. These medications are called SSRIs, or Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. If your physician has recently prescribed these to you and you think that they may be the cause of your bruxism, then you should inform him/her of this side-effect. They will then be able to prescribe you a different medication that does not have this side-effect.

Bruxism effects more than a million people worlwide, and the funny thing about it is, the sufferer doesn't realize what he/she is doing. Ninety percent of sufferers grind their teeth at night while they are asleep. So they have no idea what is happening.

Some of the symptoms of bruxism include:

1. Headaches in the morning. The bruxism sufferer will grind their teeth so hard that it will literally give them headaches!

2. Sore jaw muscles when they wake up in the morning. This is a direct result of the constant grinding throughout the night. This will in turn lead to a more serious problem involving the lower jaw joint or TMJ.

3. Damaged teeth. This is the direct result of the grinding. No surprise here. You grind your teeth. They will eventually have more and more wear and tear.(see picture above...)

Some of the Bruxism solutions include the following:

1. Surgery. When your bruxism has advanced to the point where you have to have surgery, then its pretty bad. Surgery will correct the TMJ disorder. This is the misalighnment of the lower jaw.

2. Mouthguards. Often your doctor will prescribe a mouthguard to you for your bruxism. These devices are fitted in your mouth and you are instructed to wear the device at night. These devices are only temporary fixes because they delay the damage that this condition causes. In effect what happens is that you chew on the mouthguard instead of your own teeth. Depending on the severity of your bruxism, some of these devices don't last one day!

3. Medical Massage. Some studies have shown that massage works better than both of the aforementioned solutions. By massaging the lower jaw joint you are relieving the pressure that is contributing to the damage of the TMJ. This is a vital joint. Damage to this joint can cause headaches, facial pain, and neck pain. It can also cause misalignment of the jaw which can further induce and increase the severity of sleep apnea.