When you grind your teeth or clench them on a nightly basis, this is referred to as bruxism. Without care, there is a serious risk of damaged teeth and the onset of issues like tooth decay. Our team can help though! In today’s blog, your Richfield, MN, dentist talks about how we treat teeth grinding to prevent damaged teeth.
The Causes of Bruxism
For most of us, teeth grinding is a temporary issue that doesn’t last long. But with bruxism, this is a persistent one that could damage teeth and increase the risk of cavities and even infected teeth. The cause vary, but could include high levels pf stress in your daily life, or factors like tooth loss, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, complications with the growth of the jaw and oral structures, or untreated TMJ disorder. When we examine your smile, we will identify the cause so we can choose the most appropriate treatment option.
When to Seek Treatment
Warning signs could include chronic headaches or migraines, jaw pain, or aches in the face and neck. You could also experience tooth sensitivity and toothaches as decay forms following the erosion of your outer enamel. When you experience chronic pain in and around your face and jaw, then let us know right away. With advanced technology, we can gather detailed images and make a diagnosis with precision and accuracy, assessing the wear and friction on your teeth. For some, we could address tooth loss with a prosthetic, or restore balance with crowns, bonding, or contouring. Orthodontic treatment could help too! But in many cases, we recommend an oral appliance.
Oral Appliance Therapy
After our team gathers detailed digital images of your smile from multiple angles, we use this to create a digital impression, one that enables us to design and craft the oral appliance with precision and accuracy. The finished product will look and fit like a simple nightguard, and is worn as you sleep. The device moves the jaw forward with precision and tension, preventing symptoms. It also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage. Should you have damaged teeth, we could use bonding and contouring to repair in one visit in some cases, or possibly create a custom and lifelike dental crown.
If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat a disorder like bruxism, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Preventing Dental Damage?
Our team wants to help smiles stay free of damage and painful symptoms. If you have any questions about keeping smiles healthy and strong, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, contact your Richfield, MN, dentist, Dr. Keller, by calling (612) 861-7188.
