Bruxism & Free Siddha Energy Remedies

A Bruxism (ब्रुक्सिज्म) is excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. It is an oral parafunctional activity i.e. unrelated to normal function such as eating or talking. Bruxism is a common behavior; reports of prevalence range from 8% to 31% in the general population. Several symptoms are commonly associated with bruxism, including hypersensitive teeth, aching jaw muscles, headaches, tooth wear, and damage to dental restorations e.g. crowns and fillings. Symptoms may be minimal, without patient awareness of the condition. Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System brings out valuable information and remedies about bruxism e.g. types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and free Siddha energy remedies for the wellbeing of our valuable readers.

Bruxism Definition (ब्रुक्सिज्म की परिभाषा)

Bruxism is a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. It has two distinct circadian manifestations, which can occur during sleep, indicated as sleep bruxism, or during wakefulness i.e. indicated as awake bruxism.

Bruxism Types (ब्रुक्सिज्म के प्रकार)

There are two main types of bruxism:

• Nocturnal bruxism i.e. one occurs during sleep, and
• Awake bruxism i.e. one occurs during wakefulness

Dental damage may be similar in both types, but the symptoms of sleep bruxism tend to be worse on waking and improve during the course of the day, and the symptoms of awake bruxism may not be present at all on waking, and then worsen over the day. 

Bruxism Symptoms (ब्रुक्सिज्म के लक्षण)

Clenching and grinding (पिसाई)

Most people who brux are unaware of the problem, either because there are no symptoms, or because the symptoms are not understood to be associated with clenching and grinding problem. The symptoms of sleep bruxism are usually most intense immediately after waking and then slowly abate, and the symptoms of a grinding habit which occurs mainly while awake tend to worsen through the day, and may not be present on waking. Bruxism may cause a variety of signs and symptoms, including:

• Tooth fractures, and repeated failure of dental restorations 
• Hypersensitive teeth, e.g. dental pain when drinking a cold liquid
• Inflammation of the periodontal ligament of teeth, which may make them sore to bite on, and possibly also a degree of loosening of the teeth
• A grinding or tapping noise during sleep, sometimes detected by a partner or a parent. This noise can be surprisingly loud and unpleasant and can wake a sleeping partner
• Other parafunctional activity which may occur together with bruxism: cheek biting and/or lip biting
• A burning sensation on the tongue
• Indentations of the teeth in the tongue 
• Hypertrophy of the muscles of mastication i.e. increase in the size of the muscles that move the jaw, particularly the masseter muscle
• Tenderness, pain or fatigue of the muscles of mastication
• Trismus i.e. restricted mouth opening
• Pain or tenderness of the temporomandibular joints, which may manifest as preauricular pain in front of the ear, or pain referred to the ear
• The clicking of the temporomandibular joints
• Headaches, particularly pain in the temples, caused by muscle pain associated with the temporalis muscle

Detection of bruxism (ब्रुक्सिज्म की जांच)

Bruxism is usually detected because of the effects of the process. The large forces that can be generated during bruxism can have detrimental effects on the components of the masticatory system. Hence, muscles of mastication that act to move the jaw can also be affected since they are being utilized over and above normal function.

Tooth wear (दाँत घिसना)

Many publications list tooth wear as a consequence of bruxism, but some report a lack of a positive relationship between tooth wear and bruxism. Tooth wear caused by tooth-to-tooth contact is termed attrition. This is the most usual type of tooth wear that occurs in bruxism and affects the occlusal surface of the teeth.

People with bruxism may also grind their posterior teeth (back teeth), which wears down the cusps of the occlusal surface. Once tooth wear progresses through the enamel layer, the exposed dentin layer is softer and more vulnerable to wear and tooth decay. 

Tooth mobility (दाँत की गतिशीलता)

Tooth movement that occurs during occlusal loading is sometimes termed fremitus. It is generally accepted that increased occlusal forces are able to increase the rate of progression of pre-existing periodontal disease (gum disease), however, the mainstay treatment is plaque control rather than elaborate occlusal adjustments. 

Pain (दर्द)

Most people with bruxism will experience no pain. The presence or degree of pain does not necessarily correlate with the severity of grinding or clenching. The pain in the muscles of mastication caused by bruxism can be likened to muscle pain after exercise.

Bruxism Causes (ब्रुक्सिज्म के कारण)

Some of the muscles work to elevate the mandible, and others also are involved in lateral (side to side), protrusive or retractive movements. Mastication (chewing) is a complex neuromuscular activity that can be controlled either by subconscious processes or by conscious processes.

In individuals without bruxism or other parafunctional activities, during wakefulness, the jaw is generally at rest and the teeth are not in contact, except while speaking, swallowing or chewing.

It is estimated that the teeth are in contact for less than 20 minutes per day, mostly during chewing and swallowing. Normally during sleep, the voluntary muscles are inactive due to physiologic motor paralysis, and the jaw is usually open.

Awake bruxism (जाग ब्रुक्सिज्म)

Awake bruxism usually involves the clenching, but also possibly grinding, and is often associated with other semivoluntary oral habits such as cheek biting, nail-biting, chewing on a pen or pencil absent-mindedly, or tongue thrusting where the tongue is pushed against the front teeth forcefully.

Dopaminergic system (डोपामिनर्जिक प्रणाली)

Disturbance of the dopaminergic system in the central nervous system has also been suggested to be involved in the etiology of bruxism. Evidence for this comes from observations of the modifying effect of medications that alter dopamine release on bruxing activity, such as levodopa, amphetamines or nicotine, which stimulates the release of dopamine, which is postulated to explain why bruxism is twice as common in smokers compared to non-smokers.

Psychosocial factors (मनोसामाजिक कारक)

Many studies have reported significant psychosocial risk factors for bruxism, particularly a stressful lifestyle, and this evidence is growing, but still not conclusive. Some consider emotional stress to be the main triggering factor. It has been reported that persons with bruxism respond differently to depression, hostility and stress compared to people without bruxism.

Stress has a stronger relationship to awake bruxism, but the role of stress in sleep bruxism is less clear, with some stating that there is no evidence for a relationship with sleep bruxism. 

However, children with sleep bruxism have been shown to have greater levels of anxiety than other children. People aged 50 with bruxism are more likely to be single and have a high level of education. 

Genetic factors (आनुवंशिक कारक)

Some research suggests that there may be a degree of inherited susceptibility to develop sleep bruxism. 21–50% of people with sleep bruxism have a direct family member who had sleep bruxism during childhood, suggesting that there are genetic factors involved, although no genetic markers have yet been identified. 

Medications (दवाएं)

Certain stimulant drugs, including both prescribed and recreational drugs, are thought by some to cause the development of bruxism, however, others argue that there is insufficient evidence to draw such a conclusion. Examples may include:

• Dopamine agonists
• Dopamine antagonists
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• Alcohol
• Cocaine
• Amphetamines including those taken for medical reasons

Other sources state that reports of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors causing bruxism are rare, or only occur with long-term use.

Occlusal factors (संभावित कारक)

Occlusion is defined most simply as “contacts between teeth”, and is the meeting of teeth during biting and chewing. The term does not imply any disease. 

Occlusal interferences are extremely common and usually do not cause any problems. It is unclear whether people with bruxism tend to notice problems with the bite because of their clenching and grinding habit, or whether these act as a causative factor in the development of the condition.

In sleep bruxism especially, there is no evidence that removal of occlusal interferences has any impact on the condition. People with no teeth at all who wear dentures can still suffer from bruxism, although dentures also often change the original bite.

Possible associations (संभव संघ)

Several associations between bruxism and other conditions, usually neurological or psychiatric disorders, have rarely been reported, with varying degrees of evidence. Examples include:

Bruxism Diagnosis (ब्रुक्सिज्म का निदान)

A diagnosis is usually made clinically, which is mainly based on the person’s history e.g. reports of grinding noises, and the presence of typical signs and symptoms, including:

• Tooth mobility
• Tooth wear
• Masseteric hypertrophy
• Indentations on the tongue
• Hypersensitive teeth
• Pain in the muscles of mastication
• Clicking or locking of the temporomandibular joints

Tape recording (टेप रिकॉर्डिंग)

For tooth grinders who live in the same household with other people, diagnosis of grinding is straightforward: Housemates or family members would advise a bruxer of recurrent grinding. Grinders who live alone can likewise resort to a sound-activated tape recorder. To confirm the condition of clenching, on the other hand, bruxers may rely on such devices as the Bruxchecker, Bruxcore, or a Beeswax-bearing biteplate.

Jaw movements (जबड़े की हरकत)

The diagnosis of sleep bruxism is usually straightforward and involves the exclusion of dental diseases, temporomandibular disorders, and the rhythmic jaw movements that occur with seizure disorders e.g. epilepsy. This usually involves a dental examination, and possibly electroencephalography if a seizure disorder is suspected. 

Airflow monitoring, and audio-video recording (वायु प्रवाह की निगरानी, और ऑडियो-वीडियो रिकॉर्डिंग)

Polysomnography shows increased masseter and temporalis muscular activity during sleep. Polysomnography may involve electroencephalography, electromyography, electrocardiography, airflow monitoring, and audio-video recording. It may be useful to help exclude other sleep disorders; however, due to the expense of the use of a sleep lab, polysomnography is mostly of relevance to research rather than the routine clinical diagnosis of bruxism.

Other devices (अन्य उपकरण)

The devices are mostly of relevance to research and are rarely used in the routine clinical diagnosis of bruxism, which includes:

• Bruxcore Bruxism-Monitoring Device (BBMD)
• Bruxcore Plate
• Intra-splint force detector (ISFD)
• Electromyographic devices to measure masseter 

Bruxism Treatment (ब्रुक्सिज्म का उपचार)

Since bruxism is not life-threatening, and there is little evidence of the efficacy of any treatment, it has been recommended that only conservative treatment is reversible and that carries a low risk of morbidity should be used. The main treatments that have been described in awake and sleep bruxism are described below:

Dental treatment (दांतो का इलाज)

Most dentists, therefore, prefer to keep dental treatment in people with bruxism very simple and only carry it out when essential, since any dental work is likely to fail in the long term. 

Dental guards and occlusal splints (डेंटल गार्ड्स और ऑकलस स्प्लिंट्स)