Newington Dental – Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding, technically knows and bruxism, will quickly cause damage to teeth. It can also lead to a sore jaw and serious headaches. The cause of teeth grinding can be hard to trace down. Even if we know it is stress or anxiety, the cause of the stress or anxiety can be hard to trace down. It is all the worse if the grinding occurs while we are asleep.
Sometimes teeth grinding occurs in children and infants when new teeth emerge. This usually ceases when all the teeth have come through.
Teeth clenching is a similar condition, though it does not cause quite as much damage to teeth as grinding it is still a serious problem.
Signs of Teeth Grinding – Newington Dental
We might clench or grind our teeth at night. We awake to find something is wrong, but may not connect the signs with the cause.
Signs we are grinding our teeth as we sleep.
– Our jaw muscles are sore.
– Fractured, chipped, loose or aching teeth.
– A dull headache, or pain near in the ears when we first wake up.
– Feeling stiff in the face and temples when we first wake up.
– Over time the teeth show signs of wear.
– Over time the teeth become sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.
– The jaw develops a click (this can have other causes)
Unfortunately, the damage to tooth enamel is permanent. and this will often require dental repair. There can also be permanent damage to the joints in the jaw.
Treatment for Teeth Grinding – Newington Dental
A custom mouth guard, made by the dentist, can be useful. This will not stop the actual grinding, but it will prevent the grinding from causing further damage to the teeth.
Facial injections (like botox) can relax the muscles in the jaw. This can reduce the effects of grinding, and perhaps lower the underlying stress.
Diet can have at least some effect on teeth grinding. Reduce caffeine, especially after midday, to see if this has any impact. Nicotine (from smoking or gum) may also cause some stress.
Finding the underlying cause of stress that often causes teeth grinding lies outside the training of dentists. But we recommend a dental consultation (probably with a custom-made mouth guard) to prevent further damage to the teeth.
Newington Dental
Is teeth grinding an issue? We can provide a custom mouthguard to prevent tooth damage while you resolve the underlying anxiety.
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