Bruxism as a Result of a Poor State of Mental Well-Being
Bruxism is the term used by dentists to describe the act of gnashing or grinding teeth among children and adults. While it affects millions of Americans, not all of them are aware that they are already grinding the enamel off their teeth. Studies have attributed bruxism to a number of causes, such as an unhealthy lifestyle. In recent months, however, researchers found out that the state of mental wellness is also a significant factor in bruxism.
One study involved more than 1,600 children from two large cities in Brazil: Ribeirao Preto and Sao Luis. Parents of the children taking part in the study were asked to record instances of their child grinding his teeth. Children also took part in a separate set of questionnaires that defined mental health problems they may be experiencing. The result is that three out of ten children who were suffering from bruxism also showed signs of a poor state of mental well-being.
Another related study was conducted by doctors and dentists from Tel Aviv University in Israel. It involved a smaller sample size of 127 psychiatric patients: 77 patients undergoing treatment and 50 healthy people to serve as the control group. Nearly half of the patient group showed a significant level of dental attrition or physical damage to the teeth. On the other hand, only ten people in the control group showed the same level of dental attrition.
Bruxism has also been associated with a person's level of stress and discontent in the office, as piloted by a different study in India. A total of 147 IT professionals were the respondents for the survey method the study employed. The study proved the correlation between work stress and diurnal, or daytime, bruxism, which was prevalent among more than half of the IT professionals. Dentistry Colorado Springs has to offer cites these factors and more as responsible for bruxism.
Currently, there is no existing cure to totally eliminate bruxism; but Colorado Springs dentistry can use special instruments to bring it under control. Dentists usually fit patients with special mouthpieces designed to prevent damage to the teeth as a result of bruxism. On another note, behavioral approaches like autosuggestion can help people control their frequent act of teeth grinding. In the end, it boils down to the patient telling himself to stop gnashing.
If not brought under control, bruxism can lead to further damage, which can result to more critical dental problems. In this case, mental health is an area of utmost concern in achieving excellent dental health, just as clean teeth can also account for a clean heart. Perhaps Colorado Springs dentists can also advise people to always be happy to keep teeth healthy.
One study involved more than 1,600 children from two large cities in Brazil: Ribeirao Preto and Sao Luis. Parents of the children taking part in the study were asked to record instances of their child grinding his teeth. Children also took part in a separate set of questionnaires that defined mental health problems they may be experiencing. The result is that three out of ten children who were suffering from bruxism also showed signs of a poor state of mental well-being.
Another related study was conducted by doctors and dentists from Tel Aviv University in Israel. It involved a smaller sample size of 127 psychiatric patients: 77 patients undergoing treatment and 50 healthy people to serve as the control group. Nearly half of the patient group showed a significant level of dental attrition or physical damage to the teeth. On the other hand, only ten people in the control group showed the same level of dental attrition.
Bruxism has also been associated with a person's level of stress and discontent in the office, as piloted by a different study in India. A total of 147 IT professionals were the respondents for the survey method the study employed. The study proved the correlation between work stress and diurnal, or daytime, bruxism, which was prevalent among more than half of the IT professionals. Dentistry Colorado Springs has to offer cites these factors and more as responsible for bruxism.
Currently, there is no existing cure to totally eliminate bruxism; but Colorado Springs dentistry can use special instruments to bring it under control. Dentists usually fit patients with special mouthpieces designed to prevent damage to the teeth as a result of bruxism. On another note, behavioral approaches like autosuggestion can help people control their frequent act of teeth grinding. In the end, it boils down to the patient telling himself to stop gnashing.
If not brought under control, bruxism can lead to further damage, which can result to more critical dental problems. In this case, mental health is an area of utmost concern in achieving excellent dental health, just as clean teeth can also account for a clean heart. Perhaps Colorado Springs dentists can also advise people to always be happy to keep teeth healthy.