The Tooth-Vagus Trauma Loop: A Mechanistic Hypothesis Linking Bruxism to PTSD via Trigeminal-Vagus Overdrive

Chronic teeth clenching in PTSD patients may hyperstimulate the vagus nerve via trigeminal-vagus crosstalk, leading to pathological over-consolidation of traumatic memories. We propose this occurs through: (1) masseter proprioceptor activation of brainstem vagal nuclei, (2) hippocampal-amygdala norepinephrine surges driven by vagal overdrive, and (3) gut microbiome reinforcement via stress hormone signaling. This mechanism could explain the high bruxism-PTSD comorbidity (60-70% vs. 8-15% general population) and offers immediately testable interventions, including botulinum toxin to masseters and occlusal splints to disrupt encoding. Clinical validation of this loop would position dental interventions as novel PTSD prophylactics