What is bruxism?
People who grind their teeth can sometimes develop a serious problem with their jaw. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can literally transform your bite relationship and can severely damage your teeth and jaws over long periods of time. It can also cause abrasion to the chewing surfaces of your teeth. This abnormal wear and tear will prematurely age and loosen your teeth, as well as open them to problems such as hypersensitivity, chronic jaw and facial pain, and frequent headaches.
If you are not sure if you grind your teeth or not, here are a few clues that you may suffer from bruxism:
- Your jaw is often sore, or you hear popping sounds when you open and close your mouth.
- Your teeth look abnormally short or worn down.
- You notice small dents in your tongue.
How do you treat teeth grinding?
Oftentimes, your dentist will prescribe a custom-fit night guard to wear while you sleep in order to protect your teeth from grinding and abnormal tooth wear. There are other treatments available for disorders that are caused by grinding, so ask Dr. Scott Healey if you would like to know more about these options. Call us today at Scott M. Healey Dentistry to learn more about how we can treat teeth grinding in Lindon, Utah.
