Breakthrough Treatment for Bruxism

NTI System Relieves Headaches

Sometimes, people exposed to chronic stress or high-pressure situations can develop a damaging habit known as bruxism: unconsciously biting down with too much force at non-mealtimes. It can happen at night or during the day, is generally found in about one third of the population, and is more prevalent amongst women. The inappropriate tendency to constantly clench or grind the teeth may be related to poor stress management, since bruxers are often those personality types who react to stress with anger, pain, frustration, aggression, or competition. Or sometimes, it's a conscious attempt to force the upper and lower teeth to touch at all times. In any case, it’s a harmful habit that wears down biting surfaces, causes bite imbalances, and can lead to serious dental problems.

Dr. Stenvall automatically looks for bruxism warning signs in each patient: unexplained sensitivity in teeth and gums, jaw pain, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, popping and clicking jaws, tense muscles, headaches, excessive wear or flatness on teeth, worn enamel, partially exposed and sensitive tooth interior (dentin), and/or tongue indentations, and jaw dislocation. And here's where our practice differs from most. We've found that the current standard treatment for bruxism, a hard acrylic splint or nightguard, doesn't always resolve symptoms. Why not? Well, we consider bruxism as a function of clenching, where the intensity of clenching dictates the severity of the grinding. In other words, it starts with a muscular malfunction, not with a bite problem! The jaw muscles responsible for letting go after a normal 'coming together' motion, simply don't let go. This position provides unnatural resistance to the jaw's side muscles' automatic attempt to pull the jaw open, and the 'tug of war' begins between the temple muscles and the side jaw muscles. Meanwhile, the teeth and jaw joints take a tremendous beating as the jaw clenches and grinds.

Since we understand bruxism in this light, we work to actually suppress the clenching action altogether, not just provide a surface on which to clench further. That's where the NTI-tss device comes into play. The tiny NTI-tss device reduces clenching intensity to one-third of maximum, allowing the muscles to rest in a stable position and suppressing the hyperactive, malfunctioning muscles altogether. So we can truly help you rest, and take a bite out of stress. If you're suffering from bruxism, or suspect that you are, we suggest you come in for an evaluation and talk to Dr. Stenvall more about this revolutionary, successful treatment method.

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