Bruxism
Austin, TX
Bruxism is often temporary, but can be highly destructive. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to help when the symptoms of bruxism are being expressed. At South Austin Dental, part of our dental exam is looking for the signs of bruxism, and then educating and restoring damage that has occurred. Patients who delay these checkups could face larger, more expensive results. It is always best to catch problems when they are small and easily manageable.
The condition known as bruxism is often an anxiety induced condition causing a person to grind or gnash their teeth, generally while they sleep. Grinding your teeth has a similar effect to taking sand paper to your teeth, as it causes the email to wear away and flatten. Teeth that are flattened will have more difficulty in chewing and breaking down food. Gnashing your teeth is the act of clenching your teeth tightly together. Clenching can cause cracks and fractures in your enamel. Some cracks can be noticeable, but other cracks can be tiny, hairline cracks, small enough that you may not notice, but large enough for bacteria to find passage into the tooth allowing disease to occur. You can stop this damage by simply wearing a mouthguard designed to wear while you sleep, sometimes referred to as a nightguard.
How do I know if I have Bruxism?
When a patient clenches or gnashes their teeth while they’re awake, they may catch it in action. Unfortunately, most often, patients display these actions while they sleep, making it harder to catch. There are symptoms that you can look for including:
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Tightness in your Jaw: Patients may wake with feelings of tightness in their jaw. They can feel that their jaw has been clenched and now relaxing when they wake.
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Pain in your Teeth: Multiple teeth may feel as if firm pressure has been applied, or their teeth may feel sensitive to hot or cold due to cracks or fractures.
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Waking with Headaches and Facial Tension: Bruxism can cause headaches, facial pain, even ear pain. Clenching your mouth tightly closed can be exhausting on your muscles. Patients find that when they wake they may feel a release of tension, or the effects of having strained their muscles while they slept.
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Flattened Teeth: Patients who grind their teeth may feel a flattening or smoothing out, a reshaping of their biting surfaces of their teeth. |
What do I do if I have Bruxism?
For most patients, bruxism is a temporary condition, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t act. If you feel the symptoms of bruxism, wearing a mouthguard can help. We can create an acrylic layer to wear over your teeth while you sleep, placing a cushioning between your teeth to protect them. Having a mouthguard customized to fit makes it simple and comfortable to wear.
Besides protecting your teeth, you will want to have your teeth checked for damage. Bruxism can cause changes to the biting surfaces of your teeth, and leave them vulnerable to infection. We will want to review the damage and discuss treatment when necessary. |
