When you grind your teeth on a nightly basis, this could place serious pressure on your smile. The worn-down enamel and damaged teeth then lead to tooth decay and other complications. In today’s blog, your Garland, TX, dentist talks about how we use oral appliance therapy to treat bruxism, and how we repair damaged teeth.
The Causes of Chronic Teeth Grinding
Why do some of us start grinding our teeth so frequently? This could be due to factors that upset the balance of the bite. For example, missing teeth, dental misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, malocclusion, and even untreated TMJ disorder could lead to bruxism. High levels of stress are another possible factor. Without treatment, this could damage the teeth and leave them vulnerable to tooth decay and dental infection.
Warning Signs of Trouble
How do you know if you have bruxism and may need treatment? The warning signs vary, but include headaches and migraines, jaw and facial pain, and aches in the neck and shoulders. You could also suffer from persistent tooth sensitivity and toothaches due to weakened and damaged teeth. When you experience chronic pain in and around your head and face, then you should talk to our team about treatment. We will thoroughly examine your smile with digital technology to see what kinds of treatment you will need to restore your smile to optimal health and function.
Repairing Teeth
If your teeth have become cracked or chipped, or worn down, we can repair them! For example, we could use dental bonding to repair minor damage in only one visit. We also have custom-made dental crowns to address more severe cases of broken teeth. We always take steps to ensure the results will look natural and blend with your smile.
Oral Appliance Therapy
The most common treatment option is oral appliance therapy, a comfortable and noninvasive solution. We will get detailed images of your smile with digital technology, and then use them to design and craft an oral appliance. The device will be worn like a mouthguard as you sleep, repositioning the jaw to restore balance to the smile. The device also acts like a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth, to avoid further damage. Other treatment options include orthodontics, crown placement, and tooth replacement, depending on the factors behind your bruxism. If you have any questions, then give us a call today!
Ready for Preventive Treatment Options?
We would like to help treat damaged teeth and offer solutions for bruxism. To learn more about how we help people stop grinding and clenching their teeth, then please schedule a consultation today by contacting Mai Dentistry in Garland, TX at (972)-530-0552. You can also find our practice at 6850 N Shiloh Rd, Suite C Garland, TX 75044.
