If you grind your teeth each night, this is a disorder known as bruxism. Without treatment to stop these grinding and clenching episodes, your smile could be vulnerable to tooth decay and even painful infection! In today’s blog, your team at Cedar West Dental talks about preventing teeth grinding damage for our Richfield, MN, patients.
The Causes of Bruxism
What causes an issue like bruxism to develop? Teeth grinding on a nightly basis could be due to pressure on your jaw from TMJ disorder, or as a result of imbalance caused by misalignment, tooth loss, or issues with the growth of your jaw or eruption of your teeth. The arrival of your wisdom teeth could be a factor, as could high stress levels in your daily life. As part of your treatment, we want to examine your smile and determine the cause and severity of your bruxism so we can choose the best way to stop your teeth grinding and clenching!
Warning Signs to Recognize
Let’s talk about symptoms to recognize, so you know when to see our team. You should let us know when you experience pain in the face or jaw, headaches and migraines, and toothaches and tooth sensitivity. You could also notice changes to your smile, as your teeth could appear shorter and you could develop cracks and chips. Without treatment, the damage to your teeth could increase the risk of tooth decay and infection, causing painful symptoms and risking the overall stability of your smile! But we can help.
Treatment Options
For some, we can tackle misalignment with orthodontic treatment, or we could improve overall bite balance with crowns or bonding. We could also address missing teeth with dental prosthetics, such as dental bridges or even dental implants. But for most, we offer help with an oral appliance, a device that looks and fits like a mouthguard. This will be custom-made for your bite, and worn while you sleep. When in place., this helps shift the jaw to ease underlying stress and strain, and also places a very soft barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth, which prevents further damage and discomfort. You can also help by avoiding very hard or chewy foods, and using a warm washcloth to ease tension in the side of your face.
If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat issues like bruxism, then contact our team today to learn more and start your treatment journey! We want to help you smile with confidence again.
Schedule A Visit for Teeth Grinding Relief
Our team is ready to bring relief and protect your smile from dental damage. To learn more about stopping bruxism, call Cedar West Dental in Richfield, MN, today at 612) 861-7188.
