subject: What Bruxism Is And Why It's Bad For Your Dental Health [print this page] Jaws tightly closed and teeth grindingJaws tightly closed and teeth grinding. They indicate that a lot of things are making people stressed. Harmful mouth movements are done by men and women who are tense by difficult circumstances that constantly surround them. To release tension, adults may unconsciously grind their teeth and clench their jaws while asleep, and this condition is known as bruxism. Jaw joints clicking is turning out to be common neuromuscular problem since it is the cause of headaches and ear pain.
More women, particularly those above 40, are prone to develop bruxism than men, studies have revealed. Stomach problems are usually a reflection of men's frustrations, while women's are usually reflected through problems in the mouth. The cure for the problem is not orthodontics because the only way to effect a cure is to deal with the frustrations that cause the tension, but to prevent damage to teeth temporarily, plastic retainers or jaw straps while asleep are advised.
Bruxism is a problem among many others in the dental world that orthodontists are only discovering now. For several years already, straightening teeth for cosmetic reasons has changed from being the sole goal of orthodontics. There are new theories and techniques that involve not just the teeth but the entire facial structure.
While orthodontics is perceived to deal primarily with the dental problems experienced by adults, it actually can help with adult dental problems too. Orthodontists need to be mindful of what they are doing especially when their patients are adults. The flexibility of adult tissues is not the same as that of kids.
He explains that procedures involving orthodontics and plastic surgery have emerged, and that these can be used to fix deformities that have resulted from protruding jaws or from clefts in the lips and palate. Jaw growth problems are mostly the cases that orthodontists deal with every year. The teeth will usually go where the jaw is at. The teeth will follow if the jaw is put at the right place. Corrective appliances may be used so that proper jaw growth is observed, or one may also turn to reconstructive surgery for the underdeveloped jaw.
While orthodontics is often an elective procedure, it can also be preventive. The thumb sucking child can develop an improper tongue thrust which may result in deviant swallowing as well as speech impediment. The tongue is a very strong muscle and it may alter the position of teeth.
Abnormal bite, otherwise known as malocclusion, is usually corrected by chinstraps worn outside the mouth. A bad bite can lead to loss of teeth, bone damage and jaw joint problems. The bonding of transparent with metal directly for braces and the replacing of heavy metal with lightweight chromium and cobalt for bands have improved dental devices. There is more visual appeal to the wearing of plastic than the wearing of metal, even if the former is not as effective.
Now being utilized more frequently in the area of orthodontics is the device known as the laminagraph, which is a radiography apparatus. The laminagraph does not use as much radiation as in a conventional full mouth Xray, and can take an Xray of the entire dentofacial region in a single shot. Laminagraphy is a useful broad diagnostic tool, but it will not supersede individual X rays as decay locators.
