“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”
By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield
Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines
Fighting Back
Hello again. Hope all is well with you. My training to get fit enough to climb Mount Toubkal in May for Charity is well under way. 2 Back to back spinning classes last night. Phew, that is a right sweaty affair.
The Force Is With You While You Sleep
I do like Star wars.
Last time I banged on a bit about how clenching and grinding teeth can
cause toothache, and face ache and contribute to head, neck and shoulder pain.
Well, when you are asleep you can apply up to 20 times more
clenching force than when you are awake. Now that is a lot of force! No wonder muscles can spasm and teeth ache
and get sensitive and wear down.
So What Causes It Then?
We don’t really know.
Some people are just wired up that way to be clenchers/grinders and have
done it all their lives. Others do it
from time to time and it is often stress induced. It can be just having a lot going on,
life-changes and difficult times. Some
people don’t recognise being stressed but it can get under your skin and sneak
up on you as it may not be just one thing but several little things going on
that add up and play on your subconscious.
What Can We Do Then?
There are a few strategies to try from rest regime and
massage, hypnotherapy, antidepressants/muscle relaxants, Low Level Laser Therapy
to Occlusal splints. Occlusal what? These are a non-invasive dentistry type of
physiotherapy option that work very well.
Occlusal Splints
We’ve used all types of splints over the years. Some are like a soft gum shield. Some are similar but in hard acrylic. These ones take quite a time to adjust to get
right over several visits as the jaw muscles relax and the jaw changes
position. They are a bit bulky and cost
quite a bit to make and get right. The Michigan Splint and the Tanner Appliance
are examples of this. They can be a bit
of a gob stopper to wear at night.
 |
| Michigan Splint |
Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System
NTI tss for short, thank goodness. Now this little bit of kit is what we use mainly now as it is small so more comfortable and is done in a single visit so is very cost effective. The name has since been changed to SCI (Sleep Clench Inhibitor). I wonder why?
Anyway the results we get with these are great.
How Come?
Well, when the back teeth meet the clenching muscles can
really fire and go for it. When the back teeth are separated and can only
clench on the front teeth the muscle activity is reduced by about 65%. This allows the muscles to relax and stop
aching and the back teeth to stop taking a pounding. People tend to get on better with these as
they only cover the front few teeth so they get worn instead of just being put
in a drawer! Once symptoms get better
you can leave it out and just wear it at night when you feel you need it. If tooth wear is a problem or you have a lot
of dental restorations to protect then maybe every night is best.
Off to a course on Cone Beam CT Scans and Laser Scanners to
take virtual impressions next week.
There’s always something for a dental anorak.
Until next time. Take
care and be good.
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