Many individuals experience bruxism, better known as teeth grinding. Grinding your teeth isn’t typically harmful. However, when it occurs much too often, teeth can become destroyed, and other dental health issues can occur. Here is some insight on why people grind their teeth in the first place, the symptoms, and how to treat grinding your teeth.
Why Grinding Your Teeth Happens
Individuals grind their teeth for reasons such as stress and worry. However, other causes include an irregular bite, lost or crooked teeth, or an aberrant bite during sleep. Sleep apnea and other sleep issues are also causes of bruxism. Depression medication and neurological illnesses such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s can cause people to grind their teeth.
The Symptoms
These symptoms are often the only way to tell if you are grinding your teeth at night. The four core symptoms of bruxism include:
- Unyielding dull headache
- Sore jaw
- People can hear a grinding sound as you’re sleeping
- Excessive wear and tear on teeth
Bruxism can lead to dental loss if left unchecked. Brushing twice a day with enamel-strengthening toothpaste is best to mitigate the loss.
How Does Grinding Your Teeth Impact Dental Health
Chronic tooth grinding can cause weakening, cracking, or tooth loss in particular people. Patients could require root canals, bridges, and partial or complete dentures when these situations arise. Bruxism can also harm your jaws and alter the appearance of your face. For these reasons, it’s essential to treat grinding your teeth.
Treatment
A nightguard can prevent you from harming your teeth at night. If you grind your teeth because of stress, you can reach out to a dentist or doctor to discover ways to make life calmer. Stress counseling, exercising, reaching out to a physical therapist, or getting treatment for muscle relaxers can help.
Other treatment ideas include:
- Avoiding or limiting foods and drinks with caffeine, such as soda, chocolate, and coffee
- Avoid alcohol consumption because tooth grinding exacerbates after this.
- Refrain from chewing on non-food-related items.
- Practice not grinding or clenching your teeth if you find yourself cleaning your teeth throughout the day. We suggest placing the base of your tongue over your teeth.
- Place a wet washcloth on your face in front of your ears to help you relax your jaw muscles before bedtime.
Reach out to Catonsville Dental Care today if teeth grinding is troubling for you. You can count on our dental healthcare experts to help you manage your dental health.
Catonsville Dental Care is The Best Choice for Your Dental Health
Catonsville Dental Care offers a wide variety of services when it comes to oral health. We have the experience and understanding to diagnose and treat any problem you have as quickly and painlessly as possible. With four dentists available at our office and a commitment to comfort, safety, and relaxation, you can’t find a better provider for your health. We look forward to helping you keep your smile perfect all year long and talking with you about your needs. To schedule an appointment or consultation, visit us online or give us a call at 410-747-1115. For more tips and tricks, follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.