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Teeth Grinding Downtown Edmonton
People grind their teeth for different reasons. Sometimes it's due to stress or sleep apnea, and other times it can be caused by bite issues or missing teeth.
Teeth grinding (also known as sleep bruxism or just bruxism) puts harmful strain on your jaw joints while also wearing your teeth down prematurely.
That's not great for your health - but at Oliver Park Dental, you can get the dental care you need to protect your teeth, stop grinding, and maintain a healthy smile in the long term.
How to Stop Teeth Grinding
The most common way to protect against teeth grinding is to wear a specially fitted night guard while you sleep. It acts like a protective barrier, preventing your teeth from wearing down when you grind them.
But you want to do more than just protect against the symptoms - you want to stop the issue at the source.
To do that, you need to understand what's causing the condition. Our dentists can help you correct dental-related causes, like jaw alignment issues or missing teeth, but the root cause of tooth grinding isn't always physical.
If you find yourself grinding your teeth due to stress or anxiety, speak to a doctor about management or treatment options for emotional issues. For instance, you may want to consider attending stress counselling, enrolling for an exercise program or seeing a physical therapist.
What Causes Teeth Grinding?
If the grinding is caused by a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, treating it can help to eliminate the habit. There are different forms of treating sleep apnea such as wearing a dental appliance, CPAP mask, or following other sleep therapy treatments.
You may also want to consider making the following lifestyle changes:
- Avoid alcohol consumption
- Cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine
- Avoid chewing on items such as pencils
- Position the tip of your tongue between your teeth if you notice that you are grinding during the day. This helps your jaw muscles to relax
How to Tell if You Grind Your Teeth
The Signs on Bruxism
Some people have no idea if they grind their teeth, mainly because it happens at night while they are asleep.
But teeth grinding can still be noticed in the form of health issues like persistent headaches and sore jaw joints (like the temporomandibular joint). Each one is a common symptom of overnight grinding.
Many patients also mention that their loved ones have commented about the grinding at night because they're usually the first ones to hear it.
If you think you might be grinding your teeth, it's always a good idea book a consultation with your dentist or ask about it during your next dental checkup.
Here at our dental practice, we take scans and perform physical examinations to check for signs on bruxism on your teeth and temporomandibular joint areas. From there, we can advise you on treatment options that will help you avoid dental problems like jaw pain and TMJ disorder.
The Dangers of Teeth Grinding
While grinding might not immediately have a severe impact on your health, it can lead to serious general and oral health problems like:
- Fracturing or loosening of the upper and lower teeth
- Damage to implants, crowns, or fillings
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD/TMJ-D)
- Early tooth loss
- Tooth decay
- Headaches