A doctor has outlined the risks of teeth grinding

Grinding, clicking teeth are symptoms of bruxism, which is caused by hypertonicity of the masticatory muscles. This problem is quite common, chronic bruxism affects approximately 5-10% of adults. Anton Khmarenko, head doctor of the AXDent dental clinic, told Izvestia on December 25 about the dangers of bruxism.

"The main cause of the disease is considered to be prolonged stress, overwork, chronic sleep deprivation, information overload. Nervous tension provokes nocturnal spasms, which are often amplified by pathology of the dentoalveolar system," explains Khmarenko.

According to him, hypertonicity of the masticatory muscles can cause serious consequences such as tooth erosion, formation of wedge-shaped defects at the neck of the teeth, gum recession, problems with the periodontium - tissues and ligaments that hold the tooth in the bone tissue, as well as a decrease in bone mass. Moreover, tooth erosion negatively affects the temporomandibular joint. A decrease in bite height leads to a change in the position of the joint head in the joint gap and deformation of the joint head and disc. Effects of temporomandibular joint dysfunction include clicking, pain, and difficulty opening the mouth.

"The ongoing state of bruxism, complicated by erasure and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, muscle hypertonus can serve as a cause of pinching of nerve endings of the trigeminal nerve, provoking migraines, acute pain in the temporal regions," - summarized Khmarenko.

Earlier, December 10, orthodontist of the highest category, the owner and chief physician of the network of clinics Ortholike Andrei Zhuk told "Izvestia" about contraindications for the use of eliners. According to him, eliners are ineffective in complex forms of skeletal bite anomalies - for example, deep or open bite requiring surgical correction, congenital defects such as cleft palate.