Bruxism, if left untreated, can spell real problems for your mouth. If you clench or grind your teeth, it will not be long before you experience serious issues. Bruxism can cause cracked or broken teeth, broken dental work, such as crowns and bridges, and jaw joint issues. Before you start to worry about your teeth and jaw issues, you should know that our dentists have treatments for bruxism.
What Exactly Is Bruxism?
Dentists call clenching or grinding teeth bruxism. Nearly half of all adults clench or grind their teeth from time to time, usually under stressful conditions. Most people have no idea that they are clenching or grinding their teeth at all because bruxism is involuntary. If you clench your teeth, you use your jaw muscles to close your teeth tightly. If you grind your teeth, you are moving your back teeth back and forth against each other.
What Happens When You Have Bruxism?
If you clench or grind your teeth infrequently, it most likely will not cause much damage to your teeth. However, if you are grinding or clenching your teeth frequently, you may begin to notice problems. Some of the most obvious signs of bruxism will be damage to your teeth or dental work. One of the first signs may be mouth pain. You might also experience headaches, jaw pain, and ear pain.
Treatments for Bruxism
First, if you have just noticed you clench or grind your teeth, you may want to try relaxation exercises or practice unclenching your jaw before you sleep. Also, if you are suffering from anxiety, you may want to talk to your general practitioner about anti-anxiety medication, which can alleviate symptoms of bruxism. If you have been clenching or grinding your teeth for a while, you will want to let our dentist know. Dentists can create night guards for you to wear while you are sleeping. Once you begin wearing a night guard, you will be taking care of your tooth pain from bruxism, which means your teeth and jaw will be protected.
Not sure if you have bruxism or not? We can help. Call us today to set up a dental appointment.
Dentist Bellevue • About Cooley Smiles Bellevue For over 35 years, we've built a reputation for delivering quality general and cosmetic dental services available. Call or schedule an appointment today! Cooley Smiles, 4100 Factoria Blvd SE, Suite C, Bellevue, WA 98006-1262 - (425) 998-6998 - cooleysmiles.com - 10/5/2024 - Associated Words: dental office, dental office in bellevue wa, dental clinic
Bruxism, if left untreated, can spell real problems for your mouth. If you clench or grind your teeth, it will not be long before you experience serious issues. Bruxism can cause cracked or broken teeth, broken dental work, such as crowns and bridges, and jaw joint issues. Before you start to worry about your teeth and jaw issues, you should know that our dentists have treatments for bruxism.