10 Oct Bruxism Causing You Pain?
If you wake up with headaches or jaw pain, you may be grinding or clenching your teeth at night. Teeth grinding is a common issue and may be what is leading to your pain. Hick’s Dental Group, located in Prescott Arizona, is able to bring relief to your pain through general and cosmetic dentistry services.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of teeth. While this can occur throughout your day, the main time it happens is while an individual is sleeping. Since the behavior occurs during sleep, it is considered a sleep-related, movement disorder. You may not even be aware you are doing it! There are a couple ways to tell if you have issues with bruxism.
How do I know if I Grind My Teeth?
Ways to know if you have bruxism include:
- A loved one hearing the sound at night.
- Visibly ground-down teeth.
- Regularly waking up with a dull headache or jaw pain.
Your dentist can easily recognize the signs of bruxism during a normal dental exam.
Harmful Effects
There are long-term negative effects of teeth grinding. These issues include:
- Worn down tooth enamel
- Chipped teeth
- Loosened teeth
- Loss of teeth
Consequences of bruxism can include dental procedures such as crowns, bridges, root canals, implants, partial dentures, or even complete dentures. Intense teeth grinding can even cause major jaw issues such as TMJ.
Cause and Treatment
There may be different causes of your bruxism, and stress is one of the most likely suspects. Stress affects many areas of your health, and therefore addressing it can not only benefit you overall mentally, it can also help alleviate teeth grinding. Another cause could also be a result of misaligned teeth. Bruxism is common and easily treated. Your dentist can have you fitted for a night guard with a quick and easy impression of the teeth. This impression gets sent to a lab where a custom mouth tray is made. Once the custom mouth tray comes in, it can be worn at night while sleeping or throughout the times of day when a clenched jaw may occur.
If you feel you are experiencing Bruxism symptoms, it is important for you to address them. Being proactive can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Come see us at Hicks Dental Group for your general and cosmetic dentistry needs today!