Bruxism is a disorder in which we regularly grind or clench our teeth at night as we sleep. While all of us grind our teeth sometimes, this disorder means it happens frequently enough to damage your teeth and lead to major complications! In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist explains how we treat bruxism to prevent teeth grinding from ruining your smile.
How Bruxism Hurts Your Smile
When you grind and clench your teeth regularly, this places major pressure on your smile. Over time, this pressure could begin to wear away enamel and tooth structure, making your teeth appear short. The damage could also crack or chip teeth, exposing the sensitive inner dentin to bacteria. A cavity then forms, one that could become an infection with time and in severe situations, lead to tooth loss. The disorder could also strain the jaw joints and lead to the onset of a related disorder known as TMD, which itself is also connected to uncomfortable symptoms and damaged teeth.
Causes and Symptoms
Bruxism could be caused by injury to the face or jaw, missing teeth, imbalanced bite, misalignment, untreated TMJ disorder, or high levels of stress in your daily life. People with the disorder will likely find out when their significant other complains about the loud sounds. Other symptoms include headaches and migraines, jaw pain, tooth sensitivity and toothaches, and aches in the face, neck, and shoulders. If you recognize one or more of these possible symptoms, then please contact our team today to learn about possible solutions.
Oral Appliance Therapy
We start with an exam, so we can look for the indicators of bruxism and assess the severity. For some, treatment could involve crowns to improve balance, or orthodontics to correct misalignment. However, a custom-made oral appliance is often employed to provide relief. We custom-fit the device based on detailed impressions and images we take with digital technology. The device then repositions the jaw to ease strain and also place a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage. If you have cracked, chipped, or worn-down teeth due to the disorder, we could repair your smile with dental bonding or custom dental crowns. If you have any questions about how to diagnose and treat issues like teeth grinding, or possible repair options, then please contact our team today!
Talk To Your Celina, TX Dentist’s Office About Treating Bruxism
Our team wants to help you maintain optimal oral health. To find out more about our approach to treating issues like teeth grinding, then contact your Celina, TX, dentist, Dr. Newton, by calling (214) 851-0130. We’re ready to help find the best options to improve your oral health and smile beauty.
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