Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a common problem that can cause significant damage to your teeth and jaw. It can also lead to headaches, neck pain, and other problems.
Most people who grind their teeth do it at night, and it’s often caused by or exacerbated by stress or anxiety. A thorough assessment with our Cheney bruxism dentists will help you determine whether you’re living with bruxism, and will give you some useful information for building a treatment plan.
If you think you might be grinding your teeth at night, there are a few things you can do to stop it.
- One of the best ways to address bruxism is to wear a mouthguard while you sleep. Mouthguards are designed to shield your dental enamel from the tooth-on-tooth contact that causes dental enamel erosion. Because these mouth pieces are customized for each patient, they fit comfortably over your existing oral structure.
- Another solution is to incorporate mouth and jaw stretches into your daily routine. Your temporomandibular joints—which connect your lower jaw to your skull—can be over-taxed due to dental grinding. Facial stretches help to relieve tension in the jaw and face, and improve jaw mobility.
- Additionally, you may benefit from restorative treatments that help to improve your bite alignment, specifically how your top and bottom teeth come together. We may, for example, recommend that you replace old restorations that are ill-fitting, or we may suggest that you build-up natural dental enamel with composite resin.
While bruxism can be annoying and inconvenient, it is imminently treatable. Learn more from our Cheney dental team by calling our office or using the Contact Us page on our site.