The act of grinding your teeth is known in dentistry as Bruxism.  It refers to clenching or grinding teeth, mostly during the hours of the night while you are asleep.  Even though you probably will not notice that you suffer from this condition yourself, you will experience symptoms the following day.  Be on the lookout for any of the following conditions and call our Houston Medical Center Dental Group office for an appointment if you suspect you are grinding your teeth in your sleep.  This is nothing to dismiss as a bad habit, and if it is not treated, can cause you all sorts of grief down the line.

Common indicators of Bruxism include, but are not limited to, the following:

         A sore or tired feeling in the jaw

         Having a hard time opening or closing your mouth

         Unusually sensitive teeth

         Pain in the ear or jaw joint

The reason that teeth grinding is so serious, and why it causes so many additional dental problems is the pressure it puts on your teeth.  Your teeth have evolved to handle a specific amount of pressure that comes with chewing foods that constitute a normal and healthy diet.  Unfortunately, the pressure that Bruxism places on the teeth is many times greater than that daily chewing.

If you do not seek out professional dental treatment, this pressure will cause all sorts of damages to your teeth that will require additional, more expensive dental services down the line.  Just a few of the damages that grinding your teeth in your sleep are:

         Flattened, worn-down teeth

         Teeth chipping at the gum line

         Teeth becoming loosened

         The bone around the teeth becoming damaged

         Damage to the jaw bone joint, or TMJ

We do not know the ultimate cause of teeth grinding in every individual patient, although we have noticed that stress is almost a universal given.  Grinding your teeth may also be the result of spaces between your teeth or alignment problems that cause you to unconsciously clench them.

We can repair these problems here in our Houston Cosmetic Dentistry Center office with crowns, bridges, or other tooth restoration procedures. 

Perhaps the easiest way to stop Bruxism and the resulting damage that is causes is to have one of our dentists fits you with a special nightguard. This is a plastic device custom made to fit over your teeth in order to protect them from the damage caused by grinding.

To fit you with a nightguard, all we have to do is take impressions of your mouth during your initial office visit.  These impressions are then used to make models of your teeth.  These model, in turn, are nightguard, on the first appointment your dentist takes impressions. From these impressions, models are made of your teeth.  

The nightguard is then selected and customized based on these models.  When you return for your second office visit, the dentist will fit it and adjust it. 

If you are grinding your teeth at night, or suspect you are, seeking treatment now can prevent widespread damage in your mouth.  Dealing with the problem now rather than later is always better.