When you grind your teeth or clench it on a nightly basis, this could lead to poor oral health and even damaged teeth. To treat your bruxism, we could recommend a custom-made oral appliance. In today’s blog, your Woodland Hills, CA, dentist talks about our options for addressing cases like bruxism.
The Causes of Teeth Grinding
The disorder could arise when various factors upset the balance of your bite. This could include untreated TMJ disorder, tooth loss, malocclusion, and injury to the face or jaw. High levels of stress in your daily life could also be a factor as well. You may have a significant other let you know you grind your teeth at night. Otherwise, symptoms that occur during waking hours could include sore and aching jaws and face, headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, and toothaches and tooth sensitivity. If you encounter one or more of these potential symptoms on a regular basis, then let us know right away!
The Dangers of Damaged Teeth
The constant pressure from grinding and clenching your teeth could wear down outer enamel and expose sensitive inner tissues to bacteria. Likewise, the cracked or chipped portions left by bruxism could also expose sensitive tissues to bacteria. The result is tooth decay, and uncles treated, dental infection. Your discomfort will worsen and impact how you eat, and you could risk losing one or more teeth altogether.
Creating an Oral Appliance
To create an oral appliance, our team will first assess the case and extent of your teeth grinding. We then take detailed digital images of your smile, using them to create the 3D computer impression that allows us to design the oral appliance. The finished product is custom-made for your smile, and is worn at night. The device fits like a mouthguard, and helps reposition the jaw to ease strain and pressure. This also places a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, which help prevent further damage from occurring.
If you have damaged teeth, we could rebuild them in one visit with dental bonding, or up to two visits with a custom dental crown or porcelain veneer. We want you to feel great and avoid discomfort, but also smile with confidence again. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat oral health issues like bruxism, then contact our team today to learn more. A comfortable smile is always possible!
Your Woodland Hills, CA Dentist Treats Bruxism
We would like to help you avoid the discomfort and damage of untreated teeth grinding. If you would like to learn more about our how we maintain good oral health and proper bite balance, then contact your Woodland Hills, CA dentist, Dr. Naminik, by calling 818-347-5124.