Patients do not easily realize that they have a clenching disorder, even when they are clenching their teeth during the day. Usually, they do not realize that they are grinding their teeth unless the people they sleep with at night tell them. For this, bruxism disease should come to mind when one or more of the following symptoms are present.

Clicking sound coming from the joint area during mouth opening

Pain when opening mouth in the morning

Widespread pain in the back and neck

Wear on the upper surfaces of the teeth

Asymmetrical changes in the face

Ear pain, especially when eating

Wear on teeth

Continuous unilateral chewing in cases of edentation for a long time

Veneers and fillings with improperly set closure

Habit of chewing gum constantly

lying face down

Traumatic dental procedures that result in prolonged open mouth

psychological problems

Benign or malignant tumors in the jaw joint

Stress is the most important cause of involuntary clenching at night or during the day, as in many diseases today. Under intense stress, the chewing muscles cannot relax and constantly contract, exerting serious force on the jaw joint and teeth.

In addition, habits such as lip and pencil biting and nail biting occur under stress and damage the jaw joint.

If no treatment is done for a long time regarding joint disease, structural deterioration occurs in the tissues that make up the joint. In such a case, the chin may come off while yawning or laughing.

First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the habit of clenching teeth. Stress should be avoided as much as possible and professional support should be sought when necessary. Night plaque (joint splint), pain relievers, muscle relaxants, physical therapy movements and botox applications are recommended to eliminate the patient’s complaints and relieve pain.

They are transparent plaques produced in the dental laboratory or with 3D scanners, which allow the jaw muscles to relax and regulate the closure between the teeth. It is recommended not to remove it until waking up after brushing the teeth before going to sleep at night.

The duration of treatment is between 3-6 months, depending on the degree of the disease.

After use, it should be cleaned with soap and a toothbrush and rinsed with cold water. Due to its surface abrasive feature, toothpastes are not used for plaque cleaning. However, commercially available solutions can be used to clean palatal prostheses.