When you develop a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth, you can start to slowly wear down your enamel, leading to cosmetic and oral health problems. At any time of day, you can clench your jaw with enough force to create real problems for your oral health. With that said, nightly issues with this tendency, often referred to as bruxism, can be a big concern. After all, you cannot simply stop yourself by relaxing your jaw when you are asleep and unaware of what your body is doing. If this issue has lead to chronic jaw pain and stiffness, or if you have visible dental damage that concerns you, know that your Sheridan, WY dentist can help by working to address these problems.
Your Tendency To Grind Your Teeth Can Be More Harmful Than You Realize
If you have issues with teeth grinding, you can start to experience problems with TMJ disorder. This issue with poor joint alignment and stress can cause you to experience pain whenever you bite, chew, or speak. It can also lead to more frequent headaches, problems with limited dental function, and other aches and pains. You also need to worry about the impact this habit can have on your smile. The steady wear and tear that occurs can leave your teeth misshapen and dull, and can even cause damage that makes restorative treatment necessary!
Dealing With Chronic Jaw Pain Caused By Teeth Grinding
Through oral appliance therapy, we can help you manage pain that stems from TMJ disorder. Problems with your Temporomandibular joints (TMJs) can be alleviated with an appliance that keeps the jaw in a more comfortable resting position while you are at rest. This can lead to fewer headaches, fewer issues with jaw movement, and less difficulty with facial pain. While this is not always the case, some patients do struggle with bruxism because of unresolved TMJ issues, which means that their treatment can help them stop this bad habit.
Addressing Dental Damage
If you do not correct a grinding and clenching problem in time, the damage to your smile can become serious. When this happens, you can turn to your dentist for help. We can perform an evaluation and see if cosmetic dental work is appropriate, or if we should instead move forward with a restorative procedure. While cosmetic work can have lasting benefits, it is less effective at addressing trouble that also concerns your oral health. Properly restoring a damaged tooth with a custom dental crown will help restore your bite, and it will prevent worsening problems with your oral health.
Your Sheridan, WY Dentist Can Help You Solve Problems Caused By Teeth Grinding
Our practice is ready to help if you need to do something about teeth grinding and the problems that are linked to it. To find out more, please call Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY at 307-672-7567.
