Chronic teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, places enormous pressure on your teeth and jaw. Pain, damage, and poor oral health could develop over time, and lead to major consequences for your smile’s beauty, health, and stability. But what causes teeth grinding, and when should people in Garland, TX, seek treatment? In today’s blog, we’re talking about the causes of bruxism and discovering possible solutions!
The Factors Behind Bruxism
During childhood, many people go through brief periods of grinding their teeth. However, when we grind our teeth or clench our jaws regularly at night, this could mean the onset of bruxism. The causes of teeth grinding may include stress and anxiety in your daily life, tooth loss, misalignment, bite imbalance, or injury to the face or jaw. As part of your treatment, we will need to assess the wear and friction on your teeth to identify the cause and severity of your bruxism.
The Long-Term Dangers
The pressure from disorder could wear away outer tooth enamel, which exposes the sensitive inner dentin to harmful bacteria and increases the risk of tooth decay. Eventually, the damage and cavities could expose the inner pulp, leading to a dental infection and serious discomfort. The pressure could also crack or chip a tooth, damaging your smile and again, increasing the risk of a cavity or infection developing. To avoid pain in your smile or serious oral health complications, then you need to see us when you begin to experience warning signs, such as jaw pain, headaches, tooth sensitivity, and toothaches.
Treating Your Teeth Grinding (And Repairing the Damage)
If you have chipped or cracked a tooth, we may repair the issue in one visit with dental bonding, employing the same material as our tooth-colored fillings. We can also place a custom-made dental crown or a porcelain veneer. In order to stop further damage, we may create an oral appliance. Worn at night, the appliance places a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, preventing further damage. The device can also reposition the jaw to ease strain and limit the disorder. Other treatment options could include orthodontics or dental restorations. If you have any questions about identifying and treating bruxism, or about the best solutions for your teeth grinding, then please contact our team today.
DO YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH?
If you need solutions for your grinding/clenching, then let us know right away. Don’t let your disorder cause serious problems for your smile’s health. To learn more about our preventive solutions for grinding teeth and clenching jaws, then schedule a consultation by calling Mai Dentistry in Garland, TX, today at 972-530-0552. For our patients who don’t speak English, our office is fluent in both Spanish and Vietnamese.
