Diagnosed Night Bruxism – Prevalence And Therapy

Introduction: Bruxism is an oral parafunctional habit in which a process of clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth occurs, which manifests itself on an unconscious level in patients during sleep. After analyzing day and night bruxism, it was found that night bruxism has a high prevalence. It increases and is associated with several factors such as stress, medications, anxiety, changes in lifestyle and diet, as well as sleep disorders. Therefore, the therapist should be familiar with the etiological causes, in order to provide the most optimal plan for prevention and therapy of the patient through modern diagnostic protocols and therapeutic modalities. Purpose: Analyzing the literature data the goal was set to present the diagnosed night bruxism with its prevalence and therapy with the manufacture of occlusal splints. Material and methods: The Internet databases that helped create this review paper were Pubmed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Researchgate, Academia, application of written textbooks from the country as well as from abroad. The literature search was assisted by keywords in the field of night bruxism. Results and Discussion: The prevalence of diagnosed night bruxism is very high, and the therapy is aimed at eliminating the problems deriving from night bruxism. It is of great importance that after the therapy with occlusal splints, prevention of the entire stomatognathic system is also performed. Therefore, the therapist is directed towards early prevention, which includes the production of paraclinical devices for monitoring the type of bruxism and its’ patterns. To prevent the consequences of night bruxism, which include abrasion, tooth fractures, fracture of prosthetic restorations, damage to dental implants, headache, periodontal lesions and temporomandibular dysfunctions, appropriate therapeutic modalities should be used. Individually designed occlusal splints worn regularly at night help in the prevention and treatment of night bruxism, which protects against further damage to the stomatognathic system. Kapusevska, in her studies, emphasizes the need for early diagnosis for the timely removal of etiological factors that affect the occurrence, course and manifestations of night bruxism. In this way, therapists are encouraged to manufacture appropriate splints that will act preventively on the tissues of the stomatognathic system. Conclusion: Night bruxism, more accurate after the Covid -19 pandemic, completely changes the normal physiological course of the stomatognathic system. Everything should be done to educate dental and medical personnel for timely detection, prevention and treatment of the stomatognathic system of patients from the consequences of diagnosed night bruxism.