Habitual grinding, tapping and clenching of teeth during sleep means hard work for your jaw muscles. Clinical studies have shown that 20 percent of all adults also grind their teeth while awake without realizing it.
Teeth naturally wear as you age. However, teeth grinding may accelerate this process. If the tooth surfaces in a 30-year-old look like those of a 60-year-old, this strongly suggests a problem with the chewing system.
Possible causes of functional disturbances include
Stress, depression, anxiety and tension These factors may increase your risk of developing bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching). This was also confirmed by a study performed in military pilots in Israel. The study found that 69 percent of pilots had the habit of grinding or clenching their teeth while it was only 29 percent among non-pilots.
Abnormal bite patterns A misaligned bite means that your upper and lower teeth do not fit together properly. This may occur as a result of poorly aligned or missing teeth, ill-fitting tooth replacements, bad posture or certain medications such as antidepressants.
Contributory factors Loss of hard tooth substance may also be due to a chemical process, e.g. gastric reflux disease, bulimia, intake of acidic beverages and different kinds of citrus fruit.
Symptoms of impaired chewing function include
sleep disorders
headaches
tight neck muscles
jaw joint (TMJ) pain
restricted lower jaw movement
facial pain
mobile teeth
loss of hard tooth substance
sensitive teeth
Functional analysis and treatment
A functional analysis is performed to identify and correct an imbalance of the oral structures involved in chewing resulting from disrupted chewing patterns. There are some proven treatment concepts which can help restore the health and function of your chewing system such as
splint therapy
orthodontic treatment
surgery/Surgical treatment
prosthetic restoration of worn-down teeth using crowns or composite resin (tooth-coloured fillings)
Call us to make an appointment
Phone +43 5574 71314-9
Monday to Thursday
8.30 - 12 a.m. and 2 - 4 p.m.
Friday
8.30 - 12 a.m.
(Central European Time)
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