How Teeth Grinding Affects Individuals

As you grind and clench your teeth, you create friction that can negatively affect your enamel. While this material is remarkably strong, the added friction from issues with persistent teeth grinding, or bruxism, can make it harder for you to protect your smile. At our Woodland Hills, CA dentist’s office, we can take on difficulties with your smile and oral health created by bruxism. In addition to helping you put a stop to persistent grinding and clenching issues, we can tend to any problems that may have occurred with your appearance and oral health that these issues have created.

What Teeth Grinding Can Do To Hurt Your Smile

Someone who has unresolved issues with bruxism can wear down their enamel, which can cause negative changes in their appearance. If you continue to apply this pressure, you may even experience issues with chips and cracks that create oral health concerns. One reason this problem is hard to manage is that people with bruxism often grind and clench their teeth while they are asleep. This means you are not able to stop yourself from wearing down your smile for extended periods of time.

Teeth Grinding And TMJ Disorder

Your struggle to control bruxism could be linked to issues with TMJ disorder, a problem that affects people with poor jaw joint alignment or movement. Those who have problems with their jaw can have additional concerns with pain and stiffness, facial discomfort, and increased headaches. For both of these issues, we can recommend oral appliance therapy. Custom oral guards can keep teeth apart throughout the night, preventing problems with friction generated when you grind or clench your jaw. A custom appliance is also able to help you by correcting trouble with poor joint alignment.

Keep Up With Smile Concerns At Regular Exams

At your regular dental exams, our practice is prepared to help you identify more than just trouble with cavities! Unresolved problems with your jaw movement, or with bruxism, can be identified, discussed, and addressed. Timely intervention can have significant value. The sooner we determine that you need to do something about these issues, the sooner we can step in and provide relief. Once this is done, you will not have to worry about the issue worsening.

Talk To Your Woodland Hills, CA Dentist About Teeth Grinding

Through timely intervention for issues like bruxism and TMJ disorder, our practice can protect your smile from potentially serious harm. We provide preventive care when these and other issues threaten your smile and oral health. We can also discuss cosmetic and restorative services if there are already difficulties that require our attention. If you would like to find out more about how we can take care of you, contact your Woodland Hills, CA, dentist’s office by calling 818-347-5124.