Do you grind your teeth? Do you have frequent headaches or stiffness in your jaw when you try to eat?
This is the most common sign of a condition known as bruxism and affects about 10% of all adults. Teeth grinding may happen while you’re awake during the day, but mostly happens in the night while you are sleeping. It can lead to painful symptoms such as severe headaches, pain in the jaw, and especially damaged teeth.
What it Does to Your Teeth
Some forms of bruxism are mild and do not cause much damage. However, there are other instances when the condition can become much more severe and damaging. Chronic or excessive teeth grinding can lead to the fracturing and loosening of teeth. It can get so bad that some people have even lost teeth to grinding.
When teeth become fractured or loosened, it can lead to infections in the mouth and gum disease. If you are able to keep your teeth in place, continued grinding can wear your teeth down so badly that root canals, bridges, implants and even dentures may be needed.
Even milder cases of bruxism can begin to wear down the enamel of your teeth. This can lead to an increase in tooth sensitivity and chipped teeth.
Other Problems Associated with Teeth Grinding
Unfortunately, bruxism does not only have an adverse affect on your teeth. It can also cause aggravation and pain in the joints of your lower jaw. These are your temporomandibular joints also known as TMJ. Complications in the TMJ can lead to headaches, earaches and can even make it difficult to eat.
Linked to Stress
Most research of bruxism or teeth grinding shows that those who are stressed, anxious or frustrated are more likely to have the condition. Additionally, those who have a high intake of caffeine or who smoke before going to bed are more likely to grind their teeth. This link to stress may be a key factor in helping to overcome the problem and avoid long-term health issues.
Treatment
The good news is, there is treatment available for severe teeth grinding through Smile Concepts. We can help determine how damaging your teeth grinding is and make recommendations such as wearing a plastic mouth guard as you sleep each night. This guard is designed to provide a custom fit to your mouth so that it does not interfere with your sleep, but helps prevent excessive teeth grinding. As you can imagine, a mouth guard can help to significantly decrease the headaches and joint pain in your jaw.
Related: Why Your Teeth Are Sensitive
If you suspect that either you or someone in your family suffers from bruxism, please give Smile Concepts a call today at 480-951-2800 to set up an appointment. Let’s find out if a mouth guard is the answer to your problem.
