When you grind and clench your teeth, this could lead to major problems with the health of your smile. You could even damage portions of your smile, causing major complications! However, your Celina, TX, dentist can provide a solution that doesn’t require surgery. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at how we treat teeth grinding.
The Dangers of Untreated Bruxism
Teeth grinding could occur due to high levels of stress in your life, or as a result of factors that upset bite balance, such as tooth loss, misalignment, injury, or untreated TMJ disorder. When you grind and clench your teeth at night, this could place enormous pressure on your smile, wearing down tooth structure or even cracking and chipping the teeth. These injuries expose the sensitive portions of the tooth to bacteria, allowing painful cavities and infections to develop, which in turn could threaten the stability of your smile.
Common Warning Signs
For some, a significant other will let them know they grind their teeth at night. But there are also warning signs that occur during waking hours to be aware of. For example, jaw pain, headaches, migraines, and aches in the neck are common. You could develop tooth sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks, or a toothache that doesn’t subside with time. If you encounter one or more of these potential warning signs, please let us know right away. We will perform a detailed examination with digital x-rays and an intraoral camera, so we can obtain clear images of your smile and identify any signs of wear and friction. A personalized treatment plan could then be created to address your bruxism.
Creating an Oral Appliance
For some, treatment with orthodontics could help correct bite balance, as could placing a custom-made dental crown. But for the majority of people, we will offer relief with an oral appliance. Designed and custom-fitted based on digital images and measurements we take of your smile, these appliances will be worn as you sleep and will fit like a mouthguard. They help correct the position of the jaw, and place a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to avoid further injury. You then enjoy a comfortable and noninvasive solution to your grinding and clenching episodes.
If you have any questions about how we approach treatment with oral appliances, or if you experience the warning signs of bruxism, then contact our team today.
Talk To Your Celina, TX Dentist’s Office About Stopping Bruxism
We would like to help bring relief for the pain and damage of untreated teeth grinding. To learn more about the approach our team takes to stop grinding and clenching, then contact your Celina, TX, dentist, Dr. Newton, by calling (214) 851-0130.
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