Bruxism, or chronic teeth grinding and clenching, could place serious pressure on your teeth. You could soon find yourself suffering from discomfort and develop tooth decay or even infected teeth. In today’s blog, your El Paso, TX, dentists talk about how we use oral appliances to bring relief from untreated bruxism.
The Warning Signs of Bruxism
How do you know if you suffer from bruxism? For some, a significant other may let them know they grind their teeth at night. But there are also symptoms that arise during the daytime. For example, toothaches, tooth sensitivity, changes to the appearance of the teeth, headaches, migraines, and jaw pain. If you encounter one or more of these potential symptoms, then we hope you will see us for treatment right away.
The Causes and Impacts
Teeth grinding could occur due to changes to bite balance, such as untreated TMJ disorder, misalignment, tooth loss, injury to the face or jaw, or issues that occur with the growth and development of the jaw and facial structure. A high level of stress in your daily life could be a factor as well. Over time, the pressure from grinding and clenching could actually wear down tooth structure, changing your smile’s appearance. Bruxism could also crack and chip teeth, exposing sensitive inner structure and leading to tooth decay and even dental infection with time. To protect your oral health, you need to treat your bruxism. Our team can also address the damage that occurs with dental bonding or a lifelike crown, restoring the appearance and function of your smile in as little as one visit in some cases.
Treatment with an Oral Appliance
Treatment could include prosthetics to address missing teeth, or the placement of a crown or dental contouring to improve bite balance, easing strain on the jaw joints. We could also correct misalignment with orthodontics, including clear aligners. But the most common and noninvasive option is an oral appliance.
The device is created based on the detailed digital images we take of your smile, and combined to create a digital impression. We use this information to design and fabricate your oral appliance. The appliance is worn as you sleep, and position the jaw to ease stress and strain and prevent further episodes. The device also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage to the smile.
If you have any questions about treating bruxism, then contact our team today.
TALK TO SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO, TX, ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE
Our team wants to help you avoid the damage and pain of teeth grinding and clenching. If you’re ready to schedule a visit and prevent damage to your smile, then contact our Sunny Smiles location on N Zaragoza Rd in El Paso, TX at 915-849-9000.