Do you ever wake up with a sore jaw or a headache? Are your teeth flattened or fractured? You may be experiencing teeth grinding and not even know it. Also called bruxism, this condition happens when you clench, grind, or gnash your teeth. It often happens during sleep, but can happen when you are awake.
Teeth grinding can occur in both children and adults. Most kids will outgrow it eventually. Adults tend to develop the habit due to stress or due to a bite disorder.
The signs of bruxism include damaged teeth, worn enamel, tooth sensitivity, face or jaw pain, and tight jaw muscles. Many people wake up to pain in the mouth or jaw after a night of grinding.
Treating Tooth Grinding
The two most common causes of tooth grinding are stress or bite disorders. The Houston dentists at Sinada Dental can determine the root cause to treat the tooth grinding.
We will first examine the patient to see if there is a bite disorder. If one is present, we may offer procedures to treat the disorder to help prevent the grinding.
If the cause is stress, it is important to work on alleviating the issue. Therapy, exercise, and meditation are just a few options available for treating the condition.
In most cases, to preserve the teeth from further damage, we will fit the patient with a mouth guard. Worn at night, the guard doesn’t completely stop the grinding, however it can minimize further damage.
Take Action
If you think you have bruxism, you need to speak with your dentist as soon as possible. Taking action now will prevent further enamel loss now and even tooth loss in the future.
Call today to set an appointment for an evaluation. It is an appointment that can save you a lot of pain and dental damage.
