The Importance of Biting Force

Have you ever wondered why people who brush their teeth thoroughly every day still get cavities and periodontal disease?

As for why this happens, the answer lay in the problem of "biting force."

"Biting force" here refers not so much to the force used when chewing food, but to tooth grinding during sleep. Most people probably think, "I don't grind my teeth," but precise measurements have shown that most people unconsciously grind their teeth at night or after falling asleep. On days when a lot of stress has built up, people sometimes bite during sleep with 200 to 300 percent of the force used during the day. As a result, the gums may become sore or the teeth may crack, and this becomes a cause of cavities and periodontal disease.
We believe that, in addition to cleaning, checking biting force is also helpful in managing periodontal disease. The problem of "biting force" needs to be resolved at the same time, not just the bacteria.

Do you know why we grind our teeth?

In fact, the purpose of tooth grinding is to release mental stress.

Even when we do not consciously feel stressed, humans accumulate stress instinctively. Animals without reason do not hold on to mental stress and do not grind their teeth, but because humans have reason, mental stress builds up.
This creates a need to release that mental stress. One way of releasing it is tooth grinding. It is precisely because humans have reason that we grind our teeth.

We study the relationship between tooth grinding and autonomic activity. Grinding can also place stress on teeth and the jaw and is not recommended as a way to improve sleep or relieve stress.

Unconscious tooth grinding is essential for relieving stress. At our clinic, we carry out denture, implant and orthodontic treatment with natural tooth grinding in mind.
We also recommend that patients wear their dentures during sleep so that they can grind their teeth naturally.

• Occlusion and Autonomic Nervous Function
• Thorough Diagnosis Before Treatment

I presented my research at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Autonomic Neuroscience (2019).

At the meeting, there were also several research reports from the medical field on the trigeminal nerve and the autonomic nervous system.

We will continue our research in this field.