Your Friendly Alkimos Dental Practice
Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
Teeth grinding, or Bruxism as it’s officially known, is one of those damaging conditions that you could be suffering from without even knowing it.
An involuntary clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth, it doesn’t always display its symptoms in ways that are immediately noticeable.
Most people aren’t even aware they are grinding their teeth until their partners tell them or advanced symptoms such as jaw pain, headaches and worn down, sensitive teeth start to emerge.
Symptoms Of Teeth Grinding
So what should you be looking out for?
- Fractured, chipped or loose teeth
- A dull headache, sore jaws and/or ear pain
- Aching teeth, and stiffness in the face and temples, particularly after you’ve just woken up
- Sore jaws while you’re eating, especially at breakfast time
- Sensitivity to hot and cold food and drinks
- Intense jaw clenching
Even if you’re not sure that teeth grinding is responsible for the symptoms you’re experiencing, telling your dentist as soon as you suspect something’s wrong means they can make a diagnosis and devise possible treatment options.
Problems Caused By Teeth Grinding
Treatments For Teeth Grinding
Whilst there may be some underlying causes for teeth grinding that need to be investigated and addressed, your dentist has several treatment options that can be used to control the effects of teeth grinding. These treatments are used to protect your teeth against further wear and fractures, your jaw joints and muscles from dysfunction, inflammation and damage, and reduce the pain in your muscles in your head, neck and back from the damaging effects of teeth grinding.
Some of these options include, but not limited to; a night guard or “splint”, muscles relaxant medications, muscle relaxant injections, referral to a chiropractor or physiotherapist.
