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ZurichDental Podcast

Podcast with Dr Jakob Müller and Elisa Brunke

Jaws under pressure. Focus on nutrition

Teeth grinding, Michigan splints and a vegan diet: how bruxism affects your dental health and sports performance

Teeth are not a sideshow, neither in everyday life nor in training. In this episode of the Zurich dentist podcast ZurichDental, Dr Jakob Müller talks to content creator Elisa about bruxism, i.e. teeth grinding and clenching, and why this can even lead to tooth loss in the worst case scenario. He also talks about vegan nutrition, fluoride, caries prevention and the connection between dental health and sports performance.

"Teeth grinding is already mentioned in the Bible. People have been grinding their teeth for over 2000 years, but it's still not good."

Dr Jakob Müller, MSc, M.Sc., Founding Partner ZurichDental 

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Understanding bruxism: Why clenching and grinding can be so destructive

Bruxism is the technical term for teeth grinding. There are two typical patterns: grinding whilst moving, which is often noticeable due to the noise it makes, and the frequently underestimated clenching of the teeth, in which the teeth are clenched together statically with enormous force. Dr Jakob Müller quotes a figure that really sticks in the mind: up to 480 kg per square centimetre can be exerted on the teeth. This explains why dentists regularly see abrasion marks, enamel cracks, cusp fractures and even actual tooth fractures in their practices, even though those affected have sometimes eaten nothing more than „a bowl of soup“ or a „croissant“.

When a crack is enough: How micro-damage suddenly turns into a tooth fracture

Elisa reports that she has already lost two teeth as a result of clenching at night. The pattern is typical: first, small cracks appear; then the damage gradually worsens until a seemingly harmless bite becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. What’s particularly frustrating is that, in the case of a longitudinal fracture extending into the root, modern dentistry is often unable to save what one would like to save. In such cases, the only option is indeed to extract the tooth, as the fracture cannot be permanently „sealed“ biologically.

Jaw muscles in continuous training: Why bruxism also affects strength athletes

As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that weight training and dentistry have more in common than one might think. The masseter muscle (the large chewing muscle) is one of the strongest muscles in the body and can even undergo hypertrophy – that is, become thicker – as a result of clenching at night, just like a muscle does during training. Many people affected experience this as tension in the jaw, at the back of the head or around the temples. Anyone who regularly has to massage „knots“ away in the evening, or who hears the masseur ask, „What’s going on there?“, should take this as a serious warning sign.

Michigan splint: protection, force distribution and relaxation in one

A key tool for combating nocturnal bruxism is a hard mouthguard, often known as a Michigan mouthguard. Elisa wears hers consistently every night, as soft mouthguards quickly wore through for her. Dr Müller describes three main functions: Firstly, the splint protects the enamel by preventing teeth from rubbing against one another. Secondly, it distributes the forces of chewing more evenly, so that individual cusps do not bear the full brunt of the pressure. Thirdly, a slight increase in bite height in the front teeth area triggers a reflex that can help promote relaxation in the medium term. It is important to have a check-up after a few weeks, as wear marks on the splint provide concrete evidence of what is actually happening at night.

Dental health and sports performance: inflammation in the mouth slows you down

This statement is particularly interesting for athletes: dental health and sports performance are linked, and there are good studies on this. Dr Müller refers to sports medicine checks for top athletes and to the fact that professional teams have new players undergo dental examinations. The reason is obvious: inflammation in the mouth, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, puts a strain on the body and can cost performance. Anyone who trains hard but ignores gum problems is literally driving with the handbrake on.

Vegan diet, sugar, fluoride: tooth decay is not a vegan problem, but a care problem

The myth that vegans automatically have more dental problems is put into perspective during the discussion. It is not the „vegan“ label that matters, but the overall combination of diet, oral hygiene and caries prevention. From a dental point of view, maple syrup is not suddenly „gentle on the teeth“, but neither is it magically any worse than table sugar. Tooth decay occurs when bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans metabolise sugar into acid and this acid remains on the teeth for long enough. To put it plainly: frequent snacking and poor oral hygiene are the problem, not the fact that someone follows a vegan diet. It can become a concern when sugar or sweet foods are combined with a lack of fluoride, as this prevents remineralisation.

Fluoride, dental floss, interdental brushes: the basics that really make the difference

Dr Jakob Müller's position is clear: fluoride is the most important ingredient in caries prevention, preferably via fluoride toothpaste and, if necessary, fluoridated table salt. In addition, a higher-dose fluoride gel once a week can be useful. Then there is the place where many fail: between the teeth. Adults often get tooth decay where the toothbrush cannot reach. Dental floss or interdental brushes are therefore part of the daily routine, preferably in the evening. Interdental brushes are often more efficient, dental floss remains a good solution for very narrow interdental spaces.

Diagnosis and help with jaw pain: from trigger points to stress reduction

Anyone who suspects that they grind or clench their teeth should have it checked professionally. During the examination, the masticatory muscles are palpated, trigger points are checked, the jaw joint is assessed, the mouth opening is checked and typical abrasion patterns on the teeth are looked for. As bruxism is often stress-related and tends to appear in the medical classification system with psychosomatic illnesses, stress reduction is part of the therapy: progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, yoga, autogenic training or mindfulness exercises - the main thing is to bring the body down.

Therapy options: Physiotherapy, heat, medication and Botox as a final step

In addition to the crunch splint, physiotherapy, self-massage and heat can help to relax the muscles and improve blood circulation. For acute symptoms, anti-inflammatory medication can be used according to a doctor's recommendation. Botox in the masseter is also mentioned as a modern option to reduce muscle tension for a few months, with the possible side effect of a narrower jawline. However, Elisa makes it clear that, as a vegan, this is out of the question for her due to animal testing. The point also remains: Botox treats the symptom rather than the cause, so in the long term there is hardly any way around stress management and consistent treatment of bruxism.

Elisa Brunke in a sports outfit with a fitness dumbbell in her right hand

Here you will find some discount codes that might interest you:

Fit with myclubs:
With the Discount code MCELISA30 is available at myclubs 30 % discount on the 1st FLEX 4 subscription - that means training 4 times in one month & discovering Zurich in a new sporting way. Whether it's Lagree, Barre, Pilates, HIIT, Hyrox, boxing, bouldering ... choose the right workout from countless studios throughout the city and train for less.

https://www.myclubs.com/ch/de/prices/?setcoupon=MCELISA30

Don't worry: the subscription can of course be cancelled on a monthly basis.

Vegan protein power:
Vetain offers vegan protein powders, bars, nut butters, dietary supplements and much more. Everything is 100% plant-based, naturally delicious and free from artificial sweeteners. With the Discount code ELISA there is 10 % discount on everything.

https://vetain.de/ELISA

And here it goes Elisa's cookery book, if you are interested in cooking Elisa's delicious vegan recipes:

https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1072550809?ProvID=15323994&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17336376195&gbraid=0AAAAADpVXc6zVgboRDe6PKtQPYTrWygLW

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