Discharge ferrule

What is bruxism?

Bruxism is a disorder in which teeth are ground or clenched during the day (daytime bruxism), at night (nocturnal bruxism) or both. During the day we may be aware of the moments when we clench our teeth, but at night this grinding is done in deep phases of sleep. It is also very common to see this habit in children who still have milk teeth.

Nocturnal bruxism is considered a sleep-related movement disorder. People who clench or grind their teeth while sleeping are more likely to suffer from other sleep disorders, such as snoring or pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).

Signs and symptoms of bruxism

  • Grinding or clenching your teeth, with a sound that may be loud enough to wake the person sleeping with you.
  • Flattened teeth, and with frequent fractures.
  • Worn, irregular or serrated dental enamel.
  • Increased tooth sensitivity.
  • Tired or stiff jaw muscles after sleep.
  • Locked jaw that does not open and close properly.
  • Very recurrent cervical pain.
  • Pain in any area or generalized pain when chewing.
  • Ear pain.
  • Headache that begins in the temples.
  • Bites on the inside of the cheek.
  • Sleep disturbance, light sleep or feeling of little rest.

The objective of the unloading splint is to vary the position in which the mandible fits against our upper jaw, thus deceiving our masticatory apparatus, and making the splint slide our mandible until it coincides with the maximum position of articular relaxation.

In order to manufacture it, we only need to take measurements, in which we obtain a mold of the upper jaw teeth, a lower mold and a record of the patient’s bite.

It takes a short period of time to get used to sleeping with the splint, and once we get into the habit of using it at night, we will begin to notice an improvement in our night’s rest.

In posterior teeth (premolars and molars), it may be convenient to protect the crown of the tooth (the visible part, which protrudes from the gum) with metal-porcelain caps, for greater durability.

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