Alzheimers and grinding of teeth

My mother who has alzheimers grinds her teeth constantly, all her waking hours.  Are there any suggestions on how to prevent this?

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi Nelly ,
Wecome to the forum !
Mouth grinding is also known as Bruxism . The main causes of the habit are -CNS disorders and anxiety besides TMJ and teeth abnormalities . .Since teeth grinding cures are dependent upon the main cause of the habit, the bruxism resulting from stress or CNS disturbances may need to be cured with the help of a psychotherapist to eliminate the habit.
Please keep your mother occupied with either reading , watching TV , gardening , doing little chores of the house , playing with children or pets etc. This will reduce the habit to a large extent since a person grinds teeth while being idle .

There is no definite cure for bruxism. However, symptomatic treatments are available and  a dentist’s help is needed . Mouthguards and splints are designed to control the habit .
An acrylic dental guard, or splint is designed to the shape of a person’s dentition or teeth.    Mouthguards help in limiting bruxism and serious damage to the temporomandibular joints resulting from the habit is prevented .It also stabilizes the alignment  of the teeth by reducing the changes to the positions of the teeth that typically occur with bruxism . Damage to the teeth and enamel is prevented to a great  extent . Monitoring of the mouthguard is suggested repeatedly as it allows the dentist to check the improvement in the condition at each dental visit. Please consult a psychotherapist and dentist for the management of the habit . Hope this helps you . Take care and regards !

[jack9600]

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