Bruxism – An Enemy to Good Dental Health

Do you grind, gnash or clench your teeth?If so, you may be suffering from bruxism.

It might not sound like a big deal, but it can, in severe cases, lead to damage to your:

• Teeth
• Restorations
• Crowns
• Jaw

So to put it plainly, bruxism is your enemy to maintaining good dental health.

While the causes are not completely understood, physical, psychological and genetic factors come into play. Whatever the combination, a person can suffer from either awake or sleep bruxism.

During awake bruxism, anxiety, stress, anger, frustration or tension can all contribute. A person can also grind their teeth during deep concentration or a tense situation.

Sleep bruxism can be caused by many of the same factors as awake bruxism, except that we add sleep apnea and snoring are to the list.

Whichever category you fall into, don’t ignore it. Adentist may lead you to some advice or treatment that can help improve your teeth, or minimize some of the causes, such as stress.

However, even with treatment,you may not get rid of bruxism completely. All the same, here are a couple of featured approaches that a dentist may suggest:

Splints and mouth guards. These guards separate your lower and upper teeth so that they will not touch, preventing grinding. Football players wear a rubber form of these. But they can be made of different materials, and fit either the upper or lower teeth.

Dental correction. In severe cases, such as teeth sensitivity or problems chewing, your dentist might recommend repairing them with crowns or reshaping the chewing surfaces.

Bruxism, whichever type, can be dealt with. Don’t ignore it. Take practical steps to minimize or eliminate the cause, and seek the advice of a dentist. Contact us today so we can evaluate your situation.