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ePaper created 2016-04-19, 11:44:05 | version 1.38.0
53 ortho 1 2016 diagnosis of bruxism An easier way to detect bruxism Bruxism is one of the most common parafunctions, commonly associated with sleep disorders. While existing home testing devices are expensive and not patient friendly, Bruxlab makes it possible to detect bruxisminacheapandeasyway.TheDutchcompany hasdevelopeddiagnostictoolstorecordandquantify any grinding sounds using machine learning, mobile apptechnologyandwearables. Clinical signs of bruxism include excessive tooth wear, sensitive teeth, headaches and fatigued jaw musclesinthemorning.However,sleepbruxismcan stop spontaneously and may not be chronic. A den- tist can therefore not determine whether there is active sleep and chronic bruxism by using conven- tional ways of diagnosing sleep bruxism. Dentists cannowtrackpatientsusingBruxlab’sDoIGrindapp to see if there is active bruxism and if it is chronic. Theso-calledBruxstickermakesitpossibletomea- sure movement of the lower jaw during sleep. An integratednano-accelerometerandBluetoothchip, in combination with the app, record and filter tooth-grinding sounds over multiple nights. ThenewideabehindBruxlabisanalgorithmthatcan filter any tooth-grinding sounds and tooth contact sounds. The latter often indicate the beginning of a clenchingepisode.TheBruxlabsoftwarevalidatesthe sounds using the gold standard, polysomnography, betterknownasasleeptest.Thistestwilltelldentists if there was muscle activity at the same time that a grindingsoundwasdetected.Thedeviceonwhichthe appisloadedisplacednexttothebedandrecordsand filters any tooth-grinding sounds. On average, the Bruxlabtechnologyreduceseighthoursofsleeptofive minutesofrelevantsounds.Thesoundsareuploaded to the cloud, where the dentist can listen to them. BruxismcannowbeeasilydetectedthankstoBruxlab. Bruxlab www.bruxlab.com bruxism treatment A cost-effective and custom solution for bruxism In the U.S. alone, bruxism affects 10 per cent of people and as many as 15 per cent of children, according to the American Sleep Association. Once this oral habit has been identified, dentists usually prescribe a night guard or splint. However,manytypesofnightguardsexistonthemarketthatdonotfitperfectly owing to the hard acrylic material from which they are manufactured. Further- more, while custom-made occlusal guards are the best permanent solution, noteverypatientaffectedbybruxismcanaffordsuchanexpensive mouthguard.Insurancemaycoveranightguardonlyonce in the patient’s lifetime. Therefore, many cases of bruxism go untreated, causing continued perma- nent damage to patients’ teeth. U.S.-basedAkervallTechnologiesoffersaneffec- tive custom-made and cheaper solution: the SOVA Night Guard, the thinnest over-the-counter night guardonthemarketmadeofthermoplasticmaterial.While the SOVA Night Guard is only 1.6 mm thick, it has been designed to withstand 30 per cent more impact than a conventional mouth guard. Patients have reported that within the first week of wearing the night guard, the pain causedbybruxismortemporomandibularjointdysfunction(TMD)wassignifi- cantly reduced or stopped. Moreover, they have remarked on SOVA’s stability and thinness, as well as the ease of drinking and talking while wearing it. ThetechnologybehindtheSOVANightGuardiscalledDiffusixanditworkswith unique perforations and special crumple zones that prevent grinding forces fromtravellingtotheteeth,relievingpainandreducingtheriskofdentalinjury. WhenaSOVANightGuardisproperlyfitted,perforationsoscillateonimpactto diffuse grinding forces and guide those forces into the crumple zones. The perforations also allow for a true custom fit and natural flow of air and saliva. The SOVA Night Guard is made from a tough thermoplastic polymer material withahightensilestrengththatisbiocompatible,biodegradableandBPA-free. The night guard starts as a flat horseshoe shape. After immersion in 130 °F (54 °C) water, the material becomes pliable. The night guard is then molded againsttheteethuntilithardens.Thus,ratherthanrequiringtakinganimpres- sion and sending it to the dental laboratory, the SOVA Night Guard can be moldedintheofficeinunder5minutestoprovidethepatientwithanimmediate solution. The appliance can be remolded up to 20 times. SOVA also works with orthodontics. As the teeth are moving, the night guard can be easily adjusted. Akervall Technologies 1512 Woodland Drive Saline, MI 48176 USA www.sovanightguard.com 12016