During a period of stress, you may find yourself clenching your teeth together hard, albeit unconsciously. Or, if you sleep in the same bed with your partner, they may tell you that they can hear you grinding your teeth throughout the night. This act of teeth grinding is a condition called bruxism, and there’s no denying that when it’s frequent it can cause damage to your teeth. At Helotes Family Dentistry, we want to help you identify issues that could negatively affect your dental health.
The Effect of Teeth Grinding
Your teeth are able to exert a surprising amount of pressure. When you grind your teeth, all that pressure is going towards your other teeth. Teeth enamel may be strong, but it’s not invincible. Frequent grinding could severely wear away your enamel, which doesn’t grow back. Additionally, it could end up cracking restorations like dental crowns if bad enough. Not only that, but the pressure of grinding can also cause headaches and jaw pain.
How to Treat Bruxism
It’s not all doom and gloom. The good news is that you can protect your teeth from unconscious teeth grinding with a nightguard. This nightguard is a type of mouthguard that you wear at night to act as a smooth barrier between your teeth. Instead of creating wear and damage as you clench your teeth together, they can slide over each other. At Helotes Family Dentistry, we are happy to create a custom nightguard for you as part of our suite of preventive dental services.
Helotes Family Dentistry Is Here to Help
If you’re not sure if you grind your teeth, just come into our office and we can have a look. Teeth grinding will leave certain signs of wear and tear on the teeth that can we can check for. If you already know that you grind your teeth, contact us as soon as possible so that you can prevent any further damage from occurring.
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