Tension headache, chipped off enamel, rough tooth edges. Teeth grinding is a common disease.
Every second German does it occasionally, every fifth even regularly: Teeth grinding is a common disease. The consequences are tension headache, exhaustion, poor sleep, grinded sharp-edged anterior teeth.
Different treatments can help against teeth grinding.
Diagnostically, you should first clarify whether symptoms such as muscle tension or pain in the ear are actually due to teeth grinding.
As a first aid for acute complaints we recommend the therapy with an Aqualizer in our Munich dental practice. This water-filled bite cushion relaxes muscles and ligaments. In addition, the Aqualizer, when the acute symptoms are overows further diagnostic measures. In the first case, the temporary administration of painkillers can also support the treatment.
An X-ray or three-dimensional image of the temporomandibular joint provides information about possible anatomical causes, e.g. Malformations, arthritis or tumors.
Clinical functional analysis of teeth grinding.
In the next step, our dentists recommend a so-called clinical functional analysis.
We investigate whether a malfunction of the jaw, temporomandibular joint, bite or muscles causes the pain. If we achieve no alleviation with the above-mentioned measures, then we need tooth models for an instrumental functional analysising these models, the contacts and chewing movements are imitated and analyzed in a so-called articulator.
What kind of therapy for teeth grinding and temporomandibular joint disorders exist?
The Aqualizer supplies the acute help as described above. Subsequently, bite aids and occlusion splint should be made. Accompanying osteopathy and physiotherapy we recommend for a successful treatment.
Frequently, stress is one of the causes of teeth grinding.
In some cases, psychotherapy can also be useful in order to work through stressful events from earlier life phases and thereby lower one's own stress levels.
For muscle relaxation can also contribute biofeedback. It is a behavioral procedure that records unconscious muscle activity through small electrodes. In this way, patients receive information about the invisible processes and can lear to handle them.
Another, now widespread and successful therapy option for very special cases is muscle relaxation with Botox. A bacterial poison that reduces muscle activity. So far, Botox is known primarily as a wrinkle smoother in aesthetiBut also in dentistry Botox is used in some cases: In particularly severe and persistent cases, with visible Vhypertrophia of i.e the masseter muscle, heavy headache, tinnitus ..
For further information do not hesitate to contact us!