This course will be discussing the relationship of clenching to periodontal disease. Clenching leads to the destruction of alveolar bone and the tissue around the teeth. If it was not for the excellent healing ability of the body, most people would be without teeth today because most of us clench to some degree.
Clenching is destructive to the dental structures that hold the teeth in the alveolar bone. Think of the movement of the teeth in orthodontic treatment. How can we take teeth in the palate and move them to the correct position in the arch? We do it by applying constant pressure to the tooth. Clenching applies pressure, sometimes very severe. Most of our teeth would also move great distances from the clenching pressure if they were not locked in with the other teeth preventing this, except for the anterior teeth. These can move outward some distance when the teeth are under pressure from protrusion clenching and tongue thrusting.
Have you ever brushed your teeth and your....