Bruxism generally includes side-to-side grinding and is
often accompanied by jaw clenching and can be induced
by stress and anxiety during both sleep and when awake.
Together, they can lead to chronic discomfort and pain in
the head and neck region, as well as dentition, masticatory
muscle, and facial skeletal sequelae. In the more severe
cases, clenching and grinding can result in disorders of
the temporomandibular joint, which can be exacerbated by
osteoporosis by means of at least two mechanisms:
(1) osteoclastic activity of the cartilaginous corona of
the condyle may lead to bone-on-bone frictions that
engender inflammatory reactions at the joint, and
consequentially more extensive osteoclast activity
and accelerated bone resorption at the temporomandibular
joint, which will lead to joint disorder;
(2) stress loading on the osteoporotic alveolar bone will
alter occlusion and lead to impaired joint function.