If you grind your teeth on a frequent basis, known as bruxism, this could eventually damage your smile and lead to related disorders, such as TMD. In today’s blog, your Woodland Hills, CA, dentist will explain how we diagnose and treat bruxism, and the options we have to repair damaged teeth and restore your smile!
The Causes of Bruxism
What causes us to develop a disorder such as bruxism? The factors behind the disorder could vary. For example, changes that upset to the balance of your bite could be responsible, such as misalignment, tooth loss, or injury to the face or jaw. Untreated TMJ disorder could make the issue more likely, as could high levels of stress in your daily life. As part of your diagnosis, we will take detailed digital images of your smile to offer a diagnosis with precision and accuracy, finding the exact cause and providing the most appropriate solution.
Warning Signs and Dental Damage
Over time, the grinding and clenching begins to wear down tooth structure, or even crack and chip them. The teeth appear smaller as a result, and the damage exposes the dentin to bacteria, enabling painful toothaches and infections to develop. Other warning signs include headaches, migraines, jaw pain, facial pain, and aches in the neck and shoulders. Toothaches and sensitivity in the smile is common too. If you encounter one or more of these potential warning signs, let us know before you experience painful cavities or lose a tooth to infection!
Treating Teeth Grinding
Often, we treat the issue with a custom-made and custom-fitted oral appliance. The device looks like a mouthguard, and is worn as you sleep. When in place, the appliance repositions the jaw and moves it slightly to avoid putting pressure on the balance of the bite. The device also puts a layer of protection between the upper and lower sets of teeth, which then helps prevent further damage to your smile. If you have chipped or cracked a tooth, or worn one down, we can discuss cosmetic repair with single-visit dental bonding, or possibly a lifelike crown. If you have any questions about teeth grinding and our oral appliance solutions, or about addressing the damage and esthetic issues your smile has developed, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Treating Bruxism?
Our team wants to help you avoid damaged teeth or the onset of decay or infection. For more information on treating issues like bruxism and even TMJ disorder, then please schedule a consultation by calling Woodland Hills Dental Arts in Woodland Hills, CA today at 818-347-5124. We also proudly welcome patients from Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and all surrounding communities.