How often do you experience headaches? Are you growing accustomed to waking up with soreness in your face and jaw? These conditions may have more in common than you realize. Bruxism, a condition where a person routinely clenches their jaw, can dole out serious harm to your oral health. The pressure your upper and lower teeth place on each other can cause cosmetic damage, and if left unchecked it can do functional damage as well. Another consequence of bruxism is TMJ problems, a condition where poor alignment in your jaw causes a variety of discomfort. Chronic headaches can be a symptom of TMJ problems.
How Your Dentist Can Recognize Signs Of Teeth Grinding
Whenever your dentist takes a look at your teeth during a routine dental checkup, they have a chance to examine any visible wear and tear. An unusual degree of that wear and tear can tip your dentist off to the possibility that you have been grinding your teeth. What can help is a special mouth guard, worn during sleep, that can keep your teeth from damaging each other through grinding. If you report symptoms that suggest TMJ problems, a mouth guard that helps reposition your jaw to relieve discomfort in the joints can be provided.
What To Do When Bruxism Leads To Serious Dental Damage
Hopefully, problems like bruxism and TMJ issues can be caught before you experience long-term damage. Unfortunately, some people can go without treatment for bruxism for long enough that they do damage that calls for restorative work on teeth. Dental crowns can protect teeth that have been seriously damaged because of grinding.
