Do You Grind Your Teeth?
Teeth grinding can sometimes go unnoticed until someone tells you that you do it whilst you sleep or are stressed!
Unfortunately teeth on teeth grinding action can be quite harmful for your teeth leading to increased risks of chipping, breaking or cracking teeth. Teeth sensitivity is quite common and aesthetically the teeth can appear short and stubby with worn edges, which may be sharp to the tongue. Surrounding effects may involve soreness in the facial muscles, headaches or soreness of the jaw joint.
You’d be surprised that a lot of people unknowingly grind or clench their teeth at nighttime whilst their sleeping and this can be quite common during stressful moments during life!
Some people don’t have any signs or symptoms of grinding in the early days however continued long term grinding can lead to the signs or symptoms identified above.
Unfortunately there are no proven cures for teeth grinding as it is directly related to stress you may be experiencing. Therefore we advised great preventative treatment options which can minimize grinding and/or the effects of it. This may include but isn’t limited to:
- A night guard/splint – which is a thick plastic mouth guard shaped to your mouth and worn every night whilst sleeping.
- Botox or muscle relaxants – which can help to minimize pain noted in the areas of the facial muscles
- Relaxation techniques – which can be a variety of things to help you de-stress and minimize the effects of stress in your life
It is important to recognise grinding and its effects in the early days to prevent future problems and issues. Therefore, speak to your dental health professional to see if you may have this habit or which treatment options may help you and your teeth!
