Clinical Definition
Bruxism characteristics:
- Teeth Grinding: Involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth
- Sleep-Related: Most commonly occurs during sleep
- Jaw Muscle Activity: Increased masseter and temporalis muscle activity
- Dental Damage: Can cause tooth wear, fractures, and sensitivity
- Associated Symptoms: Jaw pain, headaches, facial muscle fatigue
Sleep bruxism is often associated with sleep arousals, stress, anxiety, and certain medications. It can coexist with sleep apnea.
Etymology & History
Reference Values & Interpretation
Normal Values
Normal sleep should not include persistent teeth grinding or clenching that causes dental damage or jaw symptoms.
Abnormal Values
Abnormal bruxism includes frequent teeth grinding during sleep, causing dental wear, jaw pain, or disrupting sleep for the patient or partner.
How It's Measured
Bruxism is diagnosed through dental examination for tooth wear, clinical history, and sometimes sleep studies with masseter EMG monitoring.
Role in Diagnosis
Bruxism diagnosis helps identify a treatable cause of dental damage, jaw pain, and sleep disruption, and may indicate underlying sleep disorders.
Role in Treatment
Bruxism treatment includes dental guards, stress management, treatment of underlying sleep disorders, and sometimes muscle relaxants or botulinum toxin.
Associated Conditions
teeth-grinding|jaw-clenching|dental-damage|sleep-arousals
Clinical Guidelines
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Latest Research & Updates
Recent research has investigated the relationship between bruxism and sleep apnea, with some studies suggesting bruxism may be a protective response to airway obstruction.