Bruxism
What is bruxism?
Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of your teeth while you are asleep. It is not just an annoyance; bruxism exerts thousands of pounds of pressure on the biting surfaces of the teeth, which can lead to jaw pain and damage to your teeth, as well as to the surrounding bone, gums, and jaw joint.
What are some negative results of bruxism?
Left untreated, bruxism can cause:
- Jaw pain, earaches, and headaches
- Fractured or chipped teeth or fillings
- Loosened teeth
- Damage to the bone that surrounds your teeth
- Damage to the jaw joint (the TMJ)
- Tooth sensitivity as the enamel layer is worn down, exposing the more sensitive dentin layer
- Worn-down teeth
What causes bruxism?
Grinding and clenching your teeth can be a response to stress. There are a variety of stress-reducing techniques that may be helpful in reducing bruxism, or we might recommend medication to temporarily reduce stress. Medication may also be prescribed to relieve pain and soreness. A bad bite (called malocclusion), spaces between teeth, or worn teeth may also cause you to clench and grind your teeth. Braces, crowns, bridges, or other dental restorations can correct your bite and eliminate the clench-and-grind pattern of bruxism.
We may also recommend that you use a nightguard, a plastic device worn at night that fits over either your bottom or top teeth. It helps eliminate the irregularities of a bad bite and protects your teeth from the damage caused by bruxism.
Nightguards are custom-crafted to fit your teeth. First, we make an impression of your teeth that we use to create models. It is on these models that your nightguard is created. At your next appointment, you will try on your nightguard, and adjust it for a precise fit.
