Bruxism and Dental Implants

Bruxism: What is it?

Bruxism is the involuntary act of grinding and clenching the teeth of both arches rhythmically and impetuously during sleep, reaching a more acute form during the REM phase (nocturnal bruxism). It can also occur during the day (diurnal bruxism), when you are particularly tense and focused or if you are subjected to a higher stress load.

Bruxism, which mainly occurs at night, depends on the involuntary contraction of the muscles. These rhythmic movements can occur for a few seconds during the night. In the most severe cases, these movements can also occur during the day, to the point that those concerned always have their teeth clenched.

Bruxism is considered a parafunction, that is, an action that has no particular purpose, but it affects between 5 and 20% of the adult and child world population. In this case, we speak of infantile bruxism or child bruxism, which is particularly frequent in adolescence.

Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism, if not treated in time, leads to abrasion and wear of the teeth. The damage caused to the enamel of worn teeth leads to increased sensitivity to hot and cold. In addition, the loss of enamel coverage facilitates the appearance of cavities and microfractures, and increases wear because the dentin, present under the worn enamel, poorly resists abrasion.

In the morning, you may have a feeling of dry mouth, pain in the ears, jaw, and masticatory muscles. You may also experience discomfort in the neck and back (dorsal bruxism), as the entire muscle balance is altered.

Grinding teeth at night can sometimes be noisy, to the point of being noticed by family members close to the patient and not by the patient himself who perceives nothing.

Over time, bruxism leads to dysfunction of the temporomandibular joints. Patients often experience pain when yawning or opening their mouth and have jaw pain.

Effects of Bruxism on Teeth

The excessive load on the teeth of people with bruxism also causes abnormal gingival recession which, if left untreated, can lead to periodontitis.

Obviously, worn teeth are not only unsightly from an aesthetic point of view, but also thin and pointed, creating trauma to the lips, cheeks, and tongue.

The chewing function of worn teeth is also greatly compromised.

GET A QUOTE

Would you like more information?

Causes of Bruxism

Psychological Factors

One of the crucial factors remains the psychological factor. People subjected to stress, anxiety, traumatic events, and emotional tensions (bruxism stress) or those who have an aggressive, hyperactive personality or have difficulty controlling their anger are more likely to suffer from episodes of bruxism.

Physiological Factors

Another factor is physiological, due to dental occlusion defects, poor posture, dentition (in children) and sleep disorders, and neurological, caused by trauma or cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. Finally, narcotic dependence, antipsychotics and immoderate use of caffeine and alcoholic beverages have an impact on the development of bruxism.

Implant Placement in Case of Bruxism

Ceramic Dental Crown and Bruxism

If you have chosen to place a dental crown whose hardness is similar to that of your natural teeth such as ceramic, it may fracture over time.

When the crown fractures, many patients are worried, but it is actually the least serious situation that can occur from an aesthetic point of view.

In fact, to solve it, it is enough to make a new dental crown, then apply a splint to the arch to protect it from grinding.

Dental Crown Made of a Material Harder Than Teeth

The situation becomes more complicated if the crown you have chosen for your implant is made of a material harder than the rest of your teeth.

In fact, over time, friction will reduce the height and size of your natural teeth, while the artificial crown will remain almost intact.

And this is a problem from a functional and aesthetic point of view, because it triggers a series of imbalances in all your teeth.

Teeth are used for chewing: when they perceive that too much space is created vertically, they do everything to compensate for the presence of this space.

In the desperate search for a balance that will allow you to chew correctly, two main constraints will be created in your mouth:

• In the areas of your mouth where there is no implant, your upper and lower arch teeth wear down in the same way. The problem is that they will tend to extrude, which will alter their level.
• If your crown is hard, the implant will remain in place (because it is nailed to the bone), but its opposing tooth, that of the opposite arch, will wear much more than the other teeth and will tend to often come out of its socket.

As you can imagine, this situation creates significant tooth slippage, which negatively affects the aesthetic performance of your implanto-prosthetic rehabilitation.

Preventive Assessment of Parafunctions

Before performing the implantology procedure, your dentist must carry out a thorough analysis of several factors that may affect the aesthetic result of your rehabilitation.

One of the aspects that dentists take into consideration before placing dental implants is precisely the presence of possible parafunctions such as bruxism.

Thanks to technologies such as digital impressions and three-dimensional radiography, dentists are now able to analyze your mastication in detail, in order to detect and intercept grinding.

In this way, dentists will be able to:

• avoid possible fractures of your future dental crowns
• intercept the abnormal wear of all your other teeth and tooth slippage.

Procedure for a Bruxer to Avoid Implant Failure

The Cognitive-Behavioral Approach

The cognitive-behavioral approach in the context of dental bruxism is a valuable therapeutic method aimed at understanding and treating this disorder holistically. Individuals suffering from dental bruxism often have thought patterns related to stress, anxiety, or other emotional factors, which can contribute to this harmful behavior of grinding or clenching teeth. Through the cognitive-behavioral approach, patients learn to recognize these negative thoughts and develop strategies to manage them. Therapists help patients identify the triggers of their bruxism, adjust their thoughts and adopt relaxation, breathing and stress management techniques. By modifying the thought patterns associated with bruxism and teaching relaxation techniques, the cognitive-behavioral approach can not only reduce the symptoms of bruxism, but also prevent long-term tooth damage, thus offering patients a better quality of life and improved oral health.

The Pharmacological Approach

In the context of dental bruxism, the pharmacological approach proves to be a valuable tool to alleviate symptoms and minimize dental damage associated with this disorder. Dental health professionals can prescribe muscle relaxants or anxiolytic drugs to help relax the jaw muscles, thus reducing teeth grinding at night. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be recommended to relieve inflammation of the muscles and joints of the jaw, thus reducing the pain associated with bruxism. In addition, in some cases, medical devices such as dental splints or mouth guards can be combined with medication to offer a comprehensive and effective approach. These medications, administered in a controlled manner and under the supervision of a healthcare professional, can help bruxer patients regain restful sleep, reduce pain and prevent long-term dental damage, thus improving their quality of life and oral health. However, it is imperative that these medications are prescribed and monitored by a qualified dentist or physician, in order to ensure their effectiveness while minimizing the potential risks of side effects.

[dt_sc_button title="Free Quote" size="medium" style="bordered" icon_type="" link="url:https%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1/tds%2Fdevis%2F" textcolor="#ffffff" bgcolor="#0c73ba"]