Do you often wake up with a sore jaw or dull headache? These are telltale signs of nighttime teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Stress or anxiety can often cause you to clench your teeth during the day. However, teeth grinding is most common during sleep and is typically due to an abnormal bite or crooked teeth. Not only are the symptoms of teeth grinding or clenching undesirable, but it can really do some damage to the health of your teeth over time.
Chronic teeth grinding causes teeth to fracture, loosen or even fall out. Nightly grinding habits may eventually wear your teeth down to stumps. If you do not seek help for grinding and teeth clenching, you are setting yourself up for future dental procedures, including bridges, crowns, root canals or implants. When your teeth grinding becomes severe, it can also lead to jaw problems, periodontal issues and even hearing loss.
If your partner tells you that you grind your teeth during the night, do yourself and your loved one a favor and seek help from a dentist. A night time guard from your dentist can effectively prevent your teeth grinding habit. Gilreath Family Dentistry uses the NTI device which is an FDA approved therapy used for both bruxism and migraine prevention. It can be made in a single visit. Treatment for teeth grinding using a custom made night time guard can give you the relaxing night’s sleep you need. No more waking up to sore jaw muscles or a constant headache again!
If your teeth clenching or grinding is caused by an uneven bite, your dentist can recommend corrective treatment to help you. It is also important to make any lifestyle changes that could be stress-inducing. Stress can be a trigger for many individuals who clench their teeth on a daily basis. Whatever your cause of teeth grinding may be, your oral health depends on your decision to seek treatment before serious damage is done to your teeth.
Posted on behalf of Gilreath Family Dentistry
Posted on behalf of Dr. Paul Gilreath IV,
