Causes and Treatments for Teeth Grinding

Cavities can be a big problem for many people, but you know that you can have those filled. Stains on the teeth can be a major hassle, but you know that you can have your teeth whitened. But say your grind your teeth at night, resulting in jaw pain, chips or cracks on the teeth, and other major dental problems. What do you do then?

Our Boca Raton cosmetic dentist has been able to help many patients deal with teeth grinding as well as the dental problems that may be faced due to teeth grinding. Since the solution isn’t so well known or straightforward as other dental problems, we’d like to take a quick moment to fill you in on the proper treatments for teeth grinding.

Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding usually occurs when a person is asleep. In a lot of cases, stress or anxiety can cause people to clench or grind their teeth at night. This can cause major strain on the joints of the jaw (the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) as well as the muscles and other structures in the skull.

One of the best ways to deal with the teeth grinding itself is to make a nightguard. This is a special mouthpiece that is worn when you sleep that prevents your teeth from touching and clenching.

So now that this issue is taken care of, what to do about damaged teeth and sore jaw joints? For the teeth, there are plenty of options to restore the structure, including Boca Raton dental crowns, dental bonding, and inlays and onlays. As for the jaw pain, if the teeth grinding has resulted in a TMJ disorder, the bite guard may take care of that issues. Should the TMJ disorder persist, more involved treatments are available for your dentist to consider.

If you would like to learn more about how to deal with teeth grinding as well as other dental health matters that matter to you, we encourage you to contact our Coconut Creek and Pompano Beach cosmetic dentistry offices today.