A Few Different Types Of Treatment For Bruxism

   

Bruxism is an oral condition in which people grind or clench their teeth.In mild cases, most people will not require any sort of treatment.    However, treatment may be necessary to prevent further damage in extreme cases.   Some of the symptoms from bruxism are headaches, depression, and jaw pain.   Studies have not found a cause for bruxism but stress is a well known trigger.    Some of the different types of treatment for bruxism are mouth guards, Botox, and biofeedback devices.

Mouth guards are one of the different types of treatment for bruxism.   It should be placed in the mouth every night to prevent the person from grinding their upper and lower teeth.It can be custom made by a dentist or purchased from a local store.  Custom made mouth guards can cost up to $500.  While mouth guards do not cure bruxism, they are good for preventing more damage.

Botox is another one of the few forms of treatment for bruxism.By injecting the Botox into the jaw muscles, the injection will make the muscles weaker to prevent the grinding and clenching of the jaw.   An injection must be given in both of the jaw muscles in order to be effective.It will need to be repeated every three to four months.  These treatments may be covered under your health insurance plan but they are very expensive.  

Biofeedback devices are another method that is used to treat bruxism.The first biofeedback device created was a headband powered by batteries that had an alarm that went off when the person clenched their jaw while sleeping.   Over the years, different biofeedback devices have been developed to prevent a sleeping person from clenching their teeth.One of the more up to date versions prevents a person from clenching their teeth by making them breath through their mouth instead of nose.Many people have had some from of success with this method.

Pain and discomfort from bruxism can be greatly reduced by each treatment for bruxism if it is used properly.It is highly recommended that the person try to determine the cause of the bruxism as well.   It is recommended that meditation and relaxation methods be used each night before bedtime if stress is a reoccurring problem.  A person may need to visit a physician if they continue to have severe orofacial pain and headache problems from bruxism to discuss whether they should have surgery or not.

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