Grinding your teeth can be an annoying habit, but this behavior could also put your oral health at risk. Teeth grinding and clenching, which dental professionals refer to as bruxism, creates pressure that can damage your teeth, jaw, and more.
Your dentist can help you find an effective treatment plan for this issue when you schedule a consultation appointment. You can prevent severe oral health concerns by stopping this habit as soon as you can. Dr. Jason Baldwin, a dentist practicing near Lake Tahoe, CA, lists three reasons why you should seek treatment for chronic teeth grinding and clenching habits.
Why Find Treatment for Bruxism?
Avoid Teeth Breakage
When you grind or clench your teeth, the top teeth grate against the bottom row of teeth and create an abnormally high amount of pressure. While your teeth are durable and experience a great deal of wear and tear regularly, this immense pressure could lead to teeth chipping, cracking, or fracturing. Minor damage may be amended with cosmetic dental solutions, but more extensive tooth breakage could require restorative dentistry.
Bruxism often occurs subconsciously, including when patients sleep. To protect your teeth, your dentist may recommend that you wear a mouthguard overnight. This oral device is customized to fit comfortably and securely in your mouth so that it will not slip out of place during the night.
Alleviate Chronic Jaw Pain
The pressure generated from bruxism may extend from the teeth to the jaw. This could cause tightness, soreness, and a decline in function in the jaw. The condition may worsen into temporomandibular joint disorders, also known as TMJ.
TMJ disorders need intervention from a dental professional to eradicate the uncomfortable symptoms in the jaw. A dentist can begin treating this issue by evaluating the causation, which in many cases is bruxism. Stopping teeth grinding and clenching can alleviate pain and dysfunction in the jaw.
Prevent Teeth Misalignment
Misalignment in the jaw or teeth could exacerbate the behavior of teeth grinding and clenching. But the continuation of this action can also cause teeth to shift further out of place.
Crooked, overlapping, or gapped teeth can make it more difficult to keep your teeth effectively clean with your oral hygiene routine. This can put your smile at risk of dental damage due to plaque build-up.
These patients may also feel self-conscious in the way that their teeth look if they become misaligned. A dental professional can straighten crooked teeth with Invisalign or other aligners. However, you can prevent this problem by treating bruxism before your teeth’s alignment is affected.
TMJ Treatment and More Dental Solutions in Lake Tahoe, CA
Dr. Baldwin offers TMJ treatment and other general dental solutions to patients in the greater Lake Tahoe, CA area. Our practice also specializes in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including periodontal care. To schedule an appointment with our team, contact our office by phone at 530.206.0392 or reach our staff online.