While you were having sweet dreams, the person sleeping beside you may be having nightmares of giant gnawing teeth and snapping jaws from all the noise that you have been bringing about. Are you aware that you may be having Bruxism?
Bruxism, which has an unknown cause, is classified as a sleep disorder or a habit. It occurs during sleep or short naps and consists of teeth grinding or jaw clenching. Although it is a common sleep disorder, only 5% of bruxers are aware that they have this because of other related symptoms that would need treatment, such as jaw pain. Another symptom is tooth loss. Due to grinding, the tooth loses its enamel and becomes damaged which will eventually lead to tooth loss.
Bruxism may be identified if a person presents certain signs and symptoms such as jaw pain, headache, eating disorders, anxiety, and stress. It has been noticed that people who sleep with bruxers are the first to become aware of this disorder because of the teeth grinding or the jaw clenching which becomes loud enough to wake them up at night.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy to diagnose bruxism since the signs and symptoms known to be present in this sleep disorder are also present in other illnesses. EMG or electromyographic measurement is the most consistent way to diagnose bruxism. Generally, it is used to measure the frequency and duration of clenching episodes. There are three available forms that a client can bring home in order to find out if one has bruxism. The first one uses wires with electrodes to be attached on a client’s face while sleeping. However, it is expensive. The second type, which is cheaper and available for lease, is a headband available commercially with the name Sleepguard. The third one is disposable and is available to clients under the name BiteStrip. However, since it can only be used once, it only measures the severity of bruxism.
Although several treatments are available to alleviate the effects of the symptoms, there is no exact cure for bruxism. However, when associated factors are gotten rid of, bruxism may be reduced. One popular way to lessen the effects of bruxism is the injection of Botox. Yes, the same Botox which is the trend nowadays among celebrities who are not getting any younger. Botox is botulinum toxin, a neurotoxic which is used for medical and cosmetic procedures. It was in the late 1960s that this toxin was discovered to have therapeutic value and has been widely used in the medical field since then because its use results in the decrease or weakening of muscle activity. Since our jaw is being moved by our masseter muscle, this muscle has been the target for Botox injections. Generally, the procedure includes about five injections on both sides of the jaw and is being repeated per year or as the doctor would suggest. It’s quite expensive and recent researches on Botox still present adverse effects such as permanent damage to the jaw muscle that is being injected with the toxin which is why it is highly recommended that people who want to undergo Botox injections should approach physicians and have a thorough check up and a sound medical advice.