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We often treat patients who report symptoms of clenching and grinding their teeth, which is also known as bruxism. Bruxism is a common condition that tends to go hand-in-hand with TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder.
Occasionally, patients will be unaware that this is happening and it can manifest in different types of symptoms and pain that may be difficult to immediately relate to jaw clenching and teeth grinding. Bruxism can cause up to 80 times the normal amount of wear and tear on the teeth, so it’s important to protect the teeth from damage along with reducing the unpleasant symptoms of bruxism.
We often treat patients who report symptoms of clenching and grinding their teeth, which is also known as bruxism. Bruxism is a common condition that tends to go hand-in-hand with TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder.
Occasionally, patients will be unaware that this is happening and it can manifest in different types of symptoms and pain that may be difficult to immediately relate to clenching and grinding. Bruxism can cause wear and tear up to 80 times the normal amount of wear and tear on the teeth, and it’s important to protect the teeth from damage along with reducing the unpleasant symptoms of bruxism.
Stress, modern day life and even previous orthodontic or dental treatment also play a big part in the symptoms of teeth grinding. We often see the teeth being chipped and worn. This may be happening quickly or slowly. Sometimes patients are unaware of the problem. Some will complain of little pain and symptoms, all the way to severe pain associated with the TMJ joint and muscles around the TMJ joint. The pain can often be confused with other dental pain such as wisdom tooth pain.
In extreme cases teeth grinding can be quite debilitating and severe, so it’s best treated early before it manifests into a big problem.
At Whites Dental Care, the simplest way we can get patients to prevent these problems is by making them a custom fit dental splint.
There are many specific splints that are appropriate to different types of grinding habits and bite problems, which we’ll evaluate when you come into the practice for a visit.
Often a special hard and soft splint is fabricated by the dental lab, which is hard on the outside and soft on the fitting surface. This gives patients the best balance of comfort and durability. Patients will most often wear the splint at night.
We invite you to book an appointment with our practice to learn about your options to minimise teeth grinding. We’ll go over everything in detail with you so that you can make the best decision for your oral health.
To get started today, contact us for an appointment.
