It’s been said that one-third of the population in North America has parafunction.
The definition of parafunction is: function outside of normal. This includes abnormally high force on the teeth during clenching, grinding, and abnormal movements of the jaws. most of these para-functional events occur when you aren’t conscious of them, especially during sleep. Some people have parafunction during waking hour, but few.
Parafunction causes worn teeth, broken teeth, cracked fillings, and wear of teeth before their time. It can cause teeth to get so short that they can become unattractive and even difficult to see. This doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time, usually years. Worn teeth like these make you look much older than you actually are. It can cause so much wear, that even your gums come into contact with one another!
Parafunction includes grinding and clenching your teeth, and bringing your teeth together in strange ways because you find it somehow stress relieving. Unfortunately, teeth were not built to be ground on this way. This can cause terrifically difficult headaches that won’t go away, in spite of medication and treatment. Usually bite equilibrations and protective splints are needed.
Paradoxically, many of the anti-depressants that have become so frequently used are culprits in bruxism and parafunction. Some dentists believe that more than 50% of all anti-depressant users brux their teeth!
