Treatment of bruxism

Sadly, there is no accepted cure as yet, mainly as we have no accepted model of causation for the condition. Ongoing management of bruxism is based on prevention of the abrasion of tooth surfaces by the wearing of an acrylic dental guard, created to the shape of the individual's upper teeth from a bite mould. This requires trips to the dentist for measuring and fitting. Alongside this full width guard, smaller and alternative shapes can be obtained, some with proprietary names.

If a tense jaw is experienced during wakefulness, some sufferers find it helpful to gently press their jaws open with fingertip pressure, to relax the affected muscles much as one would treat a leg cramp, but in this case, it is important to take care not to overextend the jaw joint.

Though, presently, there is no cure available for bruxers, it may be found beneficial to work at reducing stress and anxiety before bedtime, by a winding-down activity such as massage, meditation or reading, and eating early enough to ensure a fairly empty stomach at bedtime may also help.

Text II. Thumb-sucking and pacifier use may damage children's teeth

Many experts say children can safely suck their thumbs or pacifiers until they enter school, but a new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests if the behavior persists after age two, children's bite may be affected.

"Sucking is a natural reflex, which comforts infants and young children. Any recommendation to stop thumb, finger or pacifier sucking before a child is two years old would be unrealistic, potentially detrimental and unnecessary from a dental standpoint," states lead author John J. Warren, D.D.S., M.S., of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health.

However, the study, conducted by Dr. Warren and colleagues at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and the Tokyo Dental College, reveals that children who continue to suck a thumb, finger or pacifier past age two increase their risk of developing protruding front teeth. In addition, such habits increase the risk of an improper bite with narrowing of the upper jaw relative to the lower jaw (crossbite).

Dr. Warren's group studied 372 children in Iowa who sucked a thumb, finger pacifier, or combination thereof, from birth through age four. Each year, researchers administered questionnaires to the parents about their children's sucking habits.

At the end of the fourth year, the children were assigned to one of five groups, depending on the year they stopped the habit. The fifth group was made up of children who continued to suck their thumb, finger or pacifier. Models of the children's teeth were made between the ages of four to five and certain dimensions measured. Researchers then compared the measurements from each of the five groups.

Results indicate that the prevalence of crossbite in the molar area steadily increased from 5.8 percent for children who stopped the habit by one year of age, to 13 percent among children who stopped between two and three years old, to more than 20 percent for those who continued the habit after they turned four years old.

The researchers plan to continue the study to determine if the dental condition persists after the children's baby teeth are lost. In the meantime, Dr. Warren suggests that if three- to -four year old children persist in sucking their thumb, finger or pacifier, professional assistance may be needed to correct the resulting conditions.

Translation

Text I. Eating habits - the rules or prejudices?

Caregivers should beware that young children who skip breakfast increase their chances of experiencing tooth decay, according to a study in this month's Journal of the American Dental Association.

Using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the authors investigated the relationship between healthful eating practices (such as breast-feeding, eating breakfast and consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables a day) and dental caries in the primary teeth among children two to five years old.

In their analysis of more than 4,000 preschoolers, the authors found that poor eating practices (not eating breakfast and eating fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day) were associated with caries in primary teeth among children. ?Omitting breakfast was found to be associated with overall caries (tooth decay) experience and untreated decay in the primary dentition in children aged two through five years,? the authors wrote. ?Our findings support the notion that healthful eating practices among preschoolers would contribute to further reduction in caries.?

Dental cavities among teenagers and young adults are not linked to soft drink consumption, Virginia Tech researchers reported to the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition.

The findings of Rich Forshee and Maureen Storey, research faculty members with Virginia Tech?s Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, are based on an analysis of a large, nationally representative nutrition and health survey conducted by the federal government.

Forshee said the data show that regular consumption of carbonated soft drinks is not associated with dental cavities among adolescents, young adults, or older adults. There was, however, a positive association between soft drink consumption and dental cavities among adults in the 25-to-40 age group. He also said they found a modest association between socioeconomic status and cavities in those 17 to 40 years of age. Respondents to the survey who had more income and more education had slightly fewer cavities than those with less income and less education.

Among those over 40, the study found that African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and respondents of "other races" have fewer dental cavities than do Caucasians. Mexican-Americans in the 25-to-40 age group also reported fewer cavities than Caucasians. Females had four to five more dental cavities on average than males.

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 6