When you grind your teeth, this could place major pressure on your smile, eventually even damaging the outer layers of enamel. To avoid worsening pain, or even cavities or infection, then you may need to seek treatment. In today’s blog, your Richfield, MN, dentist talks about the dangers of teeth grinding, and offers a comfortable solution.
The Causes of Bruxism
Often, we grind our teeth due to high levels of stress in our daily lives, or possibly issues that impact the balance of your bite. Common factors include tooth loss, dental misalignment, untreated TMJ disorder, or injury to the face or jaw. The pressure from grinding and clenching could begin to wear away tooth enamel, or even crack or chip the outer structure, increasing the risk of tooth decay and dental infection.
Warning Signs of the Disorder
People with bruxism may experience headaches or migraines, jaw and facial aches, popping or clicking in the jaw, or aches in the neck and shoulders. If you encounter one or more of these warning signs then please contact our teams for treatment. We will choose the best option for your smile based on a detailed exam.
Treatment Options
For some, we could suggest orthodontics to correct misalignment. Placing custom-made dental crowns could also help by improving overall bite balance. But the most common treatment option is an oral appliance. To create them, we take detailed impressions and images of your smile with advanced digital treatments. The device will look and fit like a mouthguard, and is custom-fitted for a comfortable fit and optimal treatment. When worn, this repositions the jaw to ease strain, and could provide a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to avoid further damage.
Repairing Your Teeth
When you have a chipped and cracked tooth due to bruxism, or if structure has been worn down, then you may need repair to avoid worsening symptoms. With dental bonding, we can repair a tooth in only one visit. We also have lifelike dental crowns to repair damage as well. Following your procedure, we can make sure your smile is free of bruxism-related damage, and you enjoy a comfortable and healthy smile. If you have any questions about how we treat bruxism, or about how we create an oral appliance, then please contact our team today.
Your Richfield, MN Dentist’s Office Provides Custom Solutions
At our Richfield, MN dentist’s office, we provide our patients who grind their teeth with a noninvasive and cozy solution. We can help you enjoy a strong and healthy smile, and also obtain optimal smile esthetics. To find out more about how put a stop to teeth grinding and clenching, or about treatment for TMJ disorder and other preventive treatments, then please call Cedar West Family Dentistry at (612) 861-7188.
