Bruxism - What is it really?

Headaches, facial pain, limited mandibular opening, jaw noises (popping and clicking), bruxism/attrition, broken teeth and OSA (ob- structed sleep apnea) are all reasons that pa- tients seek dental care. Palliative treatment is prescribed from one of the various options of: oral appliances, dental equilibra- tion, medication regimens and physical medi- cine treatments (botox). Too frequently these treatments are prescribed without addressing the most important question: Why is the pa- tient grinding their teeth? To provide optimum care and direction for patients, it is important to understand the mechanism behind this parafunctional activity.