Do you ever feel like your teeth are always sore? You may be grinding them at night without realizing it. In this blog post, our Saint Louis dental team will educate you on what dental grinding is, how it manifests, and what you can do to treat it. Let’s get started…
When we talk about “bruxism” we are generally talking about the chronic behavior of grinding your teeth, clenching your jaw, or shifting your lower jawline back and forth. Everyone does these things sometimes, but it can really become problematic if these behaviors go on un-checked for long periods of time.
As you would imagine, the tooth-on-tooth contact that results from bruxism can be really hard on your teeth. Additionally, bruxism sufferers may experience:
- tension or pain around their back molars
- jaw/neck/upper back pain
- chronic headaches, especially upon waking
- jaw clicking and popping
The good news is that there are steps you can take to treat bruxism and protect your oral health. Your treatment plan will depend on the exact underlying cause of your jaw dysfunction. Generally speaking, however, the goal of bruxism treatment is to:
- release jaw and facial tension through stretching
- protect natural enamel at night with a custom-fit mouth guard
- improve bite alignment using orthodontics
- refine bite surfaces with custom restorations or bonding
Want to learn more about how bruxism occurs, and what you can do to treat it? Our Saint Louis bruxism dentists are here to help. Call our office or use the Contact Us page on our site to get started.