Teeth Grinding, Clenching & Bruxism

There is a good chance you have heard Dr. David Case or someone else at Family Dental Health mention the term ‘bruxism’ and discuss the problems it can cause for your oral health. At the office, we talk about a lot of technical dental stuff that doesn’t necessarily concern our Portland patients, but bruxism is something we definitely want you to know about. Stress and bruxism go hand in hand, and we are going to tell you exactly what that means and how it affects your health.

Alright, we know you are on the edge of your seat! What is bruxism and why does it concern you? Well, how often do you find yourself clenching your jaw or notice others doing just that? Bruxism is a common condition characterized by jaw clenching and the grinding of teeth. It is perfectly normal to clench your jaw and grind your teeth from time to time, but it can be very damaging if it gets to be a regular habit. The biggest issue with bruxism is that people are rarely aware that they suffer from this condition, and left unchecked, it can cause a number of painful and inconvenient side effects.

Have you or a loved one suffered from any of the following symptoms?

  • Your teeth have become chipped, broken, flattened or worn down
  • You have experienced pain, fatigue, or tightness in your jaw
  • You have frequent earaches
  • You have frequent headaches
  • Your teeth have become noticeably more sensitive
  • Your tongue has odd indentations
  • The insides of your cheeks are damaged from chewing
  • Your loved ones and/or sleeping partner notice that you frequently grind your teeth while you are sleeping.

If any of these telltale signs are familiar to you, it is time to let Dr. Case know. If you suspect you might have a damaging case of bruxism but aren’t sure, we recommend that you ask your spouse or partner. This is because loved ones are more likely to notice you grinding your teeth before you do.

Now that you know what bruxism is, let’s talk about why it happens. The answer is simple: stress. An increase in stress and/or anxiety is most likely the culprit behind a serious case of teeth grinding. Bruxism is one of many psychosomatic (physical manifestations of psychological problems) conditions that stress can cause and it can be especially damaging if any of the following categories apply to you.

Factors that can make the effects of bruxism worse:

  • An abnormal bite
  • Missing teeth
  • Crooked or improperly aligned teeth
  • Recent dental (including cosmetic) work
  • Recent orthodontic work

In some cases, bruxism can be caused by Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease. Antidepressants have also been known to cause bruxism, but this side effect is rare. If you are suffering from bruxism, it is most likely because of stress related to your daily life.

Why is Bruxism a Big Deal?

Good question. In most cases, it is not a big deal. However, Family Dental Health reminds us that patients who have severe bruxism are at risk for any and all of the following complications:

What to Do if You Have Bruxism

Treating the symptoms of teeth grinding is important an Dr. Case will certainly help with that, but bruxism often requires more. The best option is to work on alleviating the stress of your daily life. Easier said than done, we know, but we at Family Dental Health are here to help you get through it. Exercise, meditation, and good hobbies often work wonders, but counseling is a great option as well. In addition, Dr. Case can set you up with a custom mouthguard that will help mitigate the effects of teeth grinding. Not all bruxism guards are created equally in Portland — it is possible to exacerbate your condition with anything other than medical-grade products.

Contact us today and we’ll help protect you and your family from bruxism!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxism

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bruxism/DS00337

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-grinding-bruxism

Family Dental Health
6333 SW Macadam Ave #107
Portland, OR 97239
(503) 977-3400
https://goo.gl/maps/NxB7psgP1GU2

The post Teeth Grinding, Clenching & Bruxism appeared first on Family Dental Health.



from Family Dental Health https://fdhealth.com/teeth-grinding-clenching-bruxism/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Help! My Child is Terrified of the Dentist

Image
If you’re the parent of a young child, you know their brains are similar to sponges that soak up everything around them—especially in their first five years, which neuroscientists say is when they’ll do the most learning and developing in their entire life. At this formative time, your child may amaze you with what they notice: your facial expressions, the different tones of your voice, and your habits. If your habits include regular dental visits and an excellent oral hygiene routine, they’ll notice and want to emulate you. If you happen to feel anxious about your dental visits, or you groan when you’ve got to floss and brush, they may synchronize and feel your dread. This could lead to dental fears that stick with them for years—potentially a lifetime! Kids Can Be Courageous If you’re feeling guilty right now, go ahead and put that away as it won’t serve you or your little one. Everyone has some room for improvement, and Coastal Pediatric Dentistry® is here to help show you an...
Read more

Going for the Gold?

Image
On the left is the older allow, on the right the new one that my lab has chosen to use The cost of a penny weight of pure gold is currently $79.53. The cost of a penny weight of pure palladium is $130.6. It used to be that palladium was added instead of gold to the precious metals often used for pfms, but now laboratories are finding that palladium is no longer affordable. The lab that I am using has just changed the formulation of the metal it's using to one that has more gold than palladium. I really do not mind, but metals with more gold are softer and often easier for a dentist to accidentally polish off delicate margins. It is important when polishing "higher gold" formulations to exert less hand pressure when performing the final polishing of the crown's margins. Other wise there should be no problem with this change. Traditionally labs have chosen alloys with higher gold percentages for optimal esthetics, since alloys with higher concentrations of ...
Read more

Lemon Juice – The Good, the Bad, & the Sour

Image
In a great tale of opposites, lemon juice can be both acidic and basic, or alkaline. Read on to find out why people are talking about this, and what it means for your oral and overall health . What is pH and why does it matter? Drinking lemon juice (usually diluted in a glass of water or added to a cup of tea) is a beloved health tonic among fans of natural medicine. Potential benefits include lower cholesterol, lower inflammation in the body, and increased metabolism and energy. Lemon also contains high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C that boost your immune system. On a scale from 0-14, a pH of 7 is neutral (pure water) while numbers below 7 are acidic (unhealthy), and above 7 are basic or alkaline (healthy). Believers in holistic health blame many ailments on the body’s pH being too low or too acidic. Increasing your body’s pH is called “alkalizing.” Lemon juice in its natural state is acidic with a pH of about 2, but once metabolized it actually becomes alkaline with a pH ...
Read more