Articolo originale
Gazzetta Medica Italiana – Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2021
September; 180(9):399-403
A new hypothesis to explain the mechanism that may be involved in the genesis of sleep bruxism (SB)
Dott. Antonio Ferrante
Docente Master ”Posturologia clinica” Univ. Pisa, Napoli
Autore di contatto: dott. Antonio Ferrante I trav. Luigi Angrisani, 23 84014 Nocera Inferiore (Sa) Italia e-mail dott.antonioferrante@gmail.com
Abstract
Objective: The present study aims at constructing a new hypothesis on bruxism’s potential neurological etiology. Bruxism is not regarded a parafunction or stress reaction but a non-physiological mechanism deployed by patients suffering from incorrect swallow and functional disorders of the trigeminal stimulation in order to support the memorizing of information during sleep and the attention span during the day. Methods: The study was conducted on 80 patients of both genders aged 20—34 years. All were suffering from impaired swallowing. The patients were randomized and clustered in two groups of each 40 persons. The first group’s patients (Group A) underwent myofunctional therapy according to Garliner (modified by Ferrante) for 3 months. Patients clustered in the second group were further divided into two groups of each 20 people. Twenty individuals (Group B1) did not receive any treatment and were simply monitored for bruxism; the remaining 20 patients (Group B2) used “Bite Strips” to reduce parafunctional activities. Inclusion criteria: Patients with night bruxism. Exclusion criteria: Patients with congenital or acquired craniofacial abnormalities, genetic syndromes, neurologic disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Patients taking medicines. Patients with short frenum or tongue tie. Results: in the first group, 34 patients (85% ) stopped bruxism in three months. Conclusion: The new hypothesis may be right.
Key words: bruxism, sleep, incorrect swallow, trigeminus, memory
