dteeth grinding especially in sleep, neck aches and headaches, up to annoying tinnitus in the ears are all consequences of stressed jaw. That is, when you perceive a feeling tired and tense around this part of the face and in the area of the dental arches with negative consequences also in the lifestyle.
Bruxism and other disorders: what it means to have a stressed jaw
Effects of neurodegenerative and muscular diseases aside, most jaw ailments are caused by stress. Not surprisingly, we speak of a stressed jaw or of Costen syndrome and is characterized by a series of disorders, bad habits and even painful consequences which, starting from the lower part of the face, can involve the whole head.
«Most of the time these unpleasant sensations occur at the level of the temporomandibular joint with negative consequences on the quality of life of those who suffer from it. This disorder is often linked to anxiety and stress that cause the jaw to lock both at night and during the day, without realizing it. leading to teeth grinding» explains the Dr. Beatrice Casoni, specialist in psychiatry in Bologna.
Symptoms? «The main ones are pain in the jaw, discomfort while talking, yawning or eating. They can also lead to congestion of the ears, to the so-called “tinnitus”, i.e. hearing a ringing in the ear, tinnitus, headaches and tension in the neck muscles. Usually these symptoms are more frequent in the morning as soon as you wake up and generally intensify throughout the day Doctor Marco Soverini, dental surgeon in Ferrara.
The causes of stressed jaw
«The causes can be physical, bad posture and bad habits such as excessive use of chewing gum, nail biting and rumination, even if in 70% of cases they are of a psychological nature. Both causes lead to disorders of mainly three types: paramorphism, dimorphism and hypermorphism. Basically all these disturbances can be resolved either at a functional level, therefore with a dentist, or with psychological support. For this reason, in these situations, it is always necessary to also carry out a careful psychological evaluation of the patient precisely to trace the problem» explains Dr. Soverini.
Do these problems affect everyone without distinction? «It has been noted that this syndrome occurs more frequently among women aged between thirty and fifty years and it has also been demonstrated that those who suffer from mood and anxiety disorders, abuse alcohol or caffeine and even drugs suffer from this type of problem» explains Dr. Casoni.
Why does the jaw get stressed?
But why does stress mainly affect the jaw? «The oral apparatus, through the rhythmic and physiological contact between the teeth, activates automatic systems that contribute to maintaining the balance of our nervous system, in particular this occurs through the stimulation of the trigeminal nerve which innervates these areas. So in reality this mechanism would be healthy, if it happens correctly it is a system of protection from stress”
«However, when one suffers from stress, the mechanism becomes harmful: it is no coincidence that some studies have shown that in subjects who grind their teeth pathologically during the night, they have higher levels of urinary catecholamines and cortisol, those which we could define as of stress par excellence. Or again, people suffering from stress characterized by competitiveness, impatience, ambition, inability to relax, and a great sense of urgency, are more likely to develop bruxism and jaw clenching» explains the psychologist.
How do dentists and psychologists work?
In these cases it is the synchronized action of dentist and psychologist is fundamentalalso because these problems involve muscles that contract about 16 times a minute, or 10,000 times a day, creating real discomfort.
“As far as the dentist is concerned, the problem can be addressed working on the occlusion by means of devices designed to balance the various muscles which supervise the correct function, such as release plates, Michigan plates or Bite plane during the chronic phase and through pharmacological or physical treatments, such as laser therapy, during the acute phase» explains the dental expert.
On the other hand, on a psychological level, in addition to understanding what is the cause of the discomfort, we work on the change some daily habits such as posture, control of diaphragmatic breathing, correct rest. To this are added some exercises to do at home that must always be recommended by a competent person such as inflating a balloon, massaging the temples, the inside and outside of the cheeks, or the neck and the lower part of the jaw. “It’s still comforting to know that for most of these ailments there is an adequate cure and that is simply by adopting a more correct lifestyle and by removing the main causes once the main causes have been identified, the problem can be solved» concludes Dr. Soverini.
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