Bruxism or teeth grinding constitutes a pathological habit that can occur at any time of the day, but especially at night, and can have very unpleasant consequences, such as excessive tooth wear (abrasion), headaches, and temporomandibular joint pain. The nocturnal form is considered to be more serious than the diurnal one, as the patient has no control over it. Interestingly, many of those affected by bruxism have no idea about their tic, as they grind their teeth mainly during sleep. Therefore, the problem can remain undiagnosed for a long time, and the patient becomes aware of being a bruxist only when they begin to face the unpleasant consequences of this habit.
It is believed that over 30% of people are bruxists. This percentage varies depending on several factors, among which stress seems to play an important role, although the clear relationship between the two has not been proven. Also, it seems that the number of women affected by bruxism is significantly higher than the number of men.
Bruxism can lead to the appearance of enamel fissures, tooth wear, which will subsequently lead to tooth sensitivity. Dentists recommend patients suffering from bruxism to wear a mouthguard.
The mouthguard is quite similar to the ones used by athletes. It is like a plastic mask, with variable hardness and thickness. The mouthguard can be transparent or colored and is applied to one of the arches, upper or lower. The mouthguard's role is to protect the teeth from possible trauma.
For the fabrication of a customized mouthguard in dental clinics, the patient will attend two sessions. In the first session, the dentist will take the impression, and the mouthguard will be made in the dental laboratory by specialists. In the second session, the dentist will fit the mouthguard received from the laboratory on the patient's teeth.
The mouthguard is applied to the teeth at night, after brushing, and is removed in the morning. The bruxism mouthguard should be cleaned after each use.