Welcome to this program where we will work together on the negative impact of your bruxism.

Synonyms for bruxism are:

• clenching
• grinding
• cheek sucking
• tongue thrusting
• lip biting
• …

The first week will contain quite a bit of explanation, we will try to keep it as practical as possible. I think it is important that you understand why we do certain things or not.

Understanding what you are doing stimulates motivation and leads to a positive result.

Here I can already provide an overview of our program:

• First, we will describe the general framework of the problem;
• with physical exercises we will try to address the physical issues;
• and since stress is an important cause, we will focus on that;
• we will also teach behavioral changes and
• we will provide general information about what you can do. These are small changes we can make in our daily lives, but also the impact of medication or tools that I will provide.

Practical matters of the program 

• The modules are short. So you do not need to set aside an hour every day. The physical exercises need to be done daily.
  DAILY 5 minutes is better than 2 times a week for half an hour.
• In the process, I provide you with a lot of information and tools to tackle your problem. It is important to DO everything and not just go through the items once. Be sure to take responsibility to get started with everything, that’s where the results lie.
• All content is copyright protected and may not be distributed without permission.

Good luck!

General

The intention of the program is to follow Huber's vision on "health."

Health means that you are in a state to organize and adapt your life yourself. So that you can process and tackle future social, physical, and emotional challenges. (Huber et al 2011)

In other words: I will teach you the knowledge and techniques so that you can tackle your bruxism now, but also in the future. I want to make you resilient.

Definition:

Bruxism is a behavior that is a risk factor for developing complaints.

• 8-31% of people
• Men = women

Cause

• The cause is multifactorial.

There is a consensus on the multifactorial nature. The following factors keep the vicious circle going and increase the chance of developing complaints. The approach to bruxism should therefore focus on these elements.

• Stress
• Muscle tension
• Oral behavior
• Medication
• Posture
• Emotions such as anxiety and frustration
• …

Other causes:

• Associated with central mechanisms (tests with medication, link with Parkinson's, link with emotions, etc...)
• = sent from the brain

Much discussion about whether it is pathological or physiological.

In simple terms. Bruxism is not necessarily seen as a disease or something wrong. It could just as well be a normal process in our body. One that can lead to complaints in some people. Still much room for discussion.

So we will only intervene when there are complaints or unwanted side effects.

Benefits of bruxism

• Stimulation of saliva production
• Opens the upper airways
• Increases the bone density of the jaw (stronger bones)
• Stimulates intellectual functions (giving elderly people soft food is not smart, you want to stimulate the chewing function)
• Stress-reducing effect

Disadvantages of bruxism

• Development of jaw complaints
• Orofacial complaints
• Headache
• Neck pain
• Ear pain
• Tooth damage

Etc…

Recognizing bruxism

It is probably stating the obvious, but I still want to take a moment to discuss the different ways of diagnosing.

• Muscle hypertrophy of the masseter muscle. A thicker tense jaw muscle.
• Tooth impressions on the tongue and/or on the inside of the cheek, linea alba. Recognizable as a ‘white’ line on the cheek and/or tongue. Feel free to look in the mirror at your tongue and the inside of your cheek after getting up.
• Use of a bite plate
• The dentist saw it on the teeth
• Grinding noise noticed by the partner
• Pain/function limitation during periods of stress and tension
• Self-awareness
• Pain/discomfort/fatigue
• Tight feeling around the head
• Sensitive teeth
• A sleep study in the hospital

Is there something recognizable in this for you?

Build-up

There is no easy fix for clenching and grinding, this is a long-term effort. 

You start with this process, afterwards you will continue to work with the techniques learned.