Bruxism
Bruxism effects somewhere between 30 million and 40 million people and most don’t even know they have it. Bruxism is when one clenches or grinds his or her teeth. When He or she does it at night, it is called nocturnal bruxism. Bruxism has several causes. Some say bruxism is nothing but a bad habit often associated with stress. Sometimes it’s a result of the body’s reaction when teeth are misaligned. Side effects and symptoms of Bruxism are:
- Wear / Loss of enamel.
- Tooth sensitivity
- Damaged fillings / dental work
- Injured gums.
- Inexplicable facial pain
- Sore, tight jaw muscles
- Rhythmic contractions of the jaw muscles
- Painful jaw joints and jaw dysfunction
- Tight jaw / lock jaw
- Mild headaches when waking up
- Neck and shoulder pains
Patients with bruxism need a good evaluation. These patients may need multiple consultations from different specialties including psychological evaluation. Dentist custom fabricates a bite guard specially fitted to patient’s teeth. Bite guard can prevent damage to patient’s teeth and restorations that may be caused by bruxism. Bite guard can alleviate facial pain and headaches as well. Bruxism associated with misaligned teeth is often eliminated by Orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment helps to straighten teeth and improve bite and smile esthetics. Dentist can recognize the misaligned teeth and provide a referral for necessary orthodontic treatment.