Stress, nerves, an increasingly accelerated pace of life and changes in society mean that more and more patients in Murcia, and all over the world, are suffering from bruxism.
The bruxism is a disease that causes the patient to 'rub' their lower teeth against their upper teeth, displacing the jaw, causing significant tooth wear that can have serious consequences.
The most widely accepted treatment is an occlusal unloading splint, normally rigid, with incisal and canine guides, aspects that can vary according to the needs of the patient and the criteria of the professional, who will also assess whether it should be attached to the upper or lower teeth.
The splint, which is usually worn at night, when most patients brux or 'grind' their teeth, achieves several important things:
- It prevents you from exerting a position of maximum muscle strength, so you don't exert as much pressure as you would without it.
- De-programs' the jaw, inducing relaxation and stopping constant clenching of the teeth.
- Ensures a balanced contact between all the teeth of the arch, avoiding more contact between some teeth than others (as they would wear out sooner).
Thus, when the patient wears a splint at night, they tend to brux or 'grind' their teeth less, due to the effect of this deprogramming and, furthermore, it does not wear them down, as it is the splint that is clashing.
This means, on the other hand, that it will periodically be necessary to replace used splints with new ones, which will vary depending on the degree of bruxism of the patient: if the splints are very worn, it may be necessary to change them every one or two years; if they are less worn, they will last longer.
In any case, it is important to be aware that the splints, as they wear down due to constant friction with the teeth, undergo changes and lose their properties of de-programming and balanced occlusal contact. dental professionalThe replacement with a new one that reflects the actual situation of the patient's centric occlusion to facilitate maximum relaxation and deprogramming.
