Do you, your child, or someone that you know grind their teeth in their sleep? It’s much more common than you think, but we are here to help!
What is teeth grinding?
Teeth grinding is medically known as bruxism and it often occurs while you are sleeping; however, it could result from abnormal alignment of the teeth or stress as well. Bruxism is the constant grinding, and gnashing of the teeth for reasons other than chewing, and it happens consciously or unconsciously. Although occasional grinding does not pose much of a threat, grinding your teeth on a regular basis can result in oral health issues.
What are the complications of teeth grinding?
In many cases, the constant pressure and friction of the teeth smashing against each other could lead to detrimental loss in tooth structure. In many cases, the friction and pressure wears your teeth down to almost like a stump. You can teeth because your tooth structure looks very flat in the areas where the grinding occurs as opposed to the normal curve of a healthy tooth. Additionally, the chronic teeth grinding could result in the fracturing (similar to cracking), loose or LOSS of teeth.
Signs that you or a loved one may be grinding their teeth in their sleep include…
But, we want to keep our teeth for a long time, so how can we prevent this?
What should I do, if I or someone that I love has this issue?
That’s where we, at RidgeCommons Family Dentistry, step in!
First of all, please do not wait until you exhibit symptoms of pain and sensitivity. We are here to help you! Schedule an appointment with us and we will assess the damage and pain that may have been caused by the teeth grinding, and help you find a solution that will help keep your teeth healthy.
In most cases, we will recommend a mouth guard that you would wear at night. The mouth guard helps alleviate some of the pressure and friction that normally occurs where the teeth grinds. However, Dr. Nguyen may also recommend additional solutions as needed!
We only have one set of adult teeth, so let’s try to keep them for a long time. We are open and more than happy to address your dental concerns. Please reach out to us, and schedule your appointment today!
