Hazards of bruxism

Hazards of bruxism

Do you understand the hazards of bruxism? It’s easy to ignore the fact that you’re grinding your teeth when you’re stressed or angry. It’s just as easy to miss it when you experience bruxism, which describes consistently grinding your teeth. The trouble with ignoring bruxism is that the persistent friction and grinding can make your teeth weak and sensitive, wearing them down until they become seriously compromised. Fortunately, your dentist can detect signs of bruxism during your routine checkups and cleanings before they become obvious. As you long as you don’t ignore your dentist’s advice, you can prevent serious tooth damage and restore your bite’s harmony.

What Bruxism Means

Unlike occasionally clenching your teeth in times of stress, bruxism means the consistent grinding of your teeth, often caused by an imbalance in your bite’s alignment. Your teeth can be forced together as your jaw muscles and joints shift to find a comfortable position. Bruxism can also be caused by an underlying jaw dysfunction, or TMJ disorder, and treating it may require treating the disorder, as well.

How Bruxism Affects You

When it comes to your oral system, there are a lot of little parts that make up a single functioning unit. For this reason, it is very important that every portion of your smile and its supportive structures are taken care of and monitored over time. In some cases, patients may find that they suffer from a preventable disorder called bruxism, which occurs when a patient grinds his or her teeth. This issue can have widespread negative effects on your oral health. However, detecting and treating the problem early can prevent long-term damage, while safeguarding your health. Do you want to protect your teeth from the aging process?

About Bruxism

Bruxism is a dental disorder that occurs when a patient grinds his or her teeth or clenches them together. You are probably not even aware of this habit, though you may begin to notice signs that it is occurring. For the most part, patients grind or clench either in their sleep or without recognizing its occurrence during the day. Symptoms like extreme tooth sensitivity, worn tooth surfaces, indentations along your tongue’s border, or jaw discomfort may alert you that something is not quite right. There are also studies that suggest that snoring and tooth grinding is related to sleep apnea. If this happens, contact us for a visit.

Bruxism wear

If you wear your teeth down due to bruxism, now you can replace the lost tooth structure with bruxism veneers.

How Bruxism May Damage Your Oral Health

Bruxism places a lot of friction and pressure on your teeth, which subsequently strains your jaw joints (called your TMJs – or temporomandibular joints). The bad news is that this can result in fractured or broken teeth and TMJ disorder. The good news is that we offer dental veneers for heavily worn teeth and TMJ treatment if you are suffering from jaw strain. Your best bet is to schedule an appointment with us, so we can diagnose your concern and guide you back toward daily comfort with noninvasive treatment.

Bruxism hazards to your oral health

Your jaws generate an enormous amount of bite pressure, especially when you aren’t controlling it. When left untreated, bruxism and the force of your bite can lead to significant wear and damage to your healthy tooth structure. This increases your risks of one or more teeth cracking, becoming seriously infected, or being forced out of alignment.

Custom-Treatment for Bruxism

If your dentist can detect your bruxism hazards before your teeth become seriously damaged, then it may be treated simply with a custom-made oral appliance. By wearing the appliance at night, you can avoid the most persistent instances of teeth-grinding and preserve your smile as your dentist addresses the underlying cause of your condition. Many find that wearing a night guard will offer relief of your jaw pain.

Learn the hazards of bruxism and what you can do about it

If you’re looking for smile enhancement to repair short or translucent teeth, we offer a wide range of long term solutions. The trouble with bruxism is that it will continue to damage your teeth if you ignore it and neglect to treat it. Want to update that aging smile? To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling us at 847-234-0517. We proudly serve residents of Chicago and all surrounding communities in the Chicago Metro area.