The Smile Daily

Do you involuntarily and excessively grind your teeth? Many people are unaware that they have a problem with teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, because they only grind their teeth in their sleep. Other people are painfully aware of their teeth grinding because they do it while awake. To determine whether you might have a problem with teeth grinding, consider these symptoms.

Symptoms

• Loud grinding or clenching of the teeth that wakes your partner at night
• Otherwise unexplainable jaw or face pain
• Pain that feels like it’s in the ear while having no actual ear problem
• Teeth that are unexplainably flattened, broken or loose
• Increased tooth sensitivity
• Frequent dull headaches in the temple area
• Sores from chewing on the side of your cheek
• Indentations on your tongue

Causes of Teeth Grinding

If you are experiencing symptoms like those above, you have an issue with teeth grinding. How does such a condition come about? Here are some causes.

• An involuntary response to stress and anxiety
• An abnormal or misaligned bite
• Missing or crooked teeth

How to Stop

If you think you may be grinding your teeth, it’s important to see your dentist as soon as possible. If your grinding is the result of an abnormal bite or other dental issue, we can pinpoint that problem and create a plan to correct it's root cause. That plan may include fitting you for a mouth guard to protect your teeth from grinding at night. Here are some other things you can do to help treat teeth grinding:

• Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine
• Avoid alcohol. Grinding sometimes becomes more prevelant after drinking alcohol.
• Avoid chewing on pens, pencils and gum, as doing so acclimates your jaw muscles to clenching and may encourage involuntary grinding
• Find ways to relax your jaw muscles right before bed, such as placing a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe
• Try to train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. One way to do this is to position your tongue between your teeth if you find yourself griding your teeth. This may help train your jaw to relax.

Harmful Effects

Grinding your teeth can have serious consequences. In addition to causing the symptoms listed above, it can also lead to these harmful conditions:

• Hearing loss
• Development or worsening of TMJ/TMD, a painful condition that affects the jaw and muscles of your face
• Change in facial appearance

If you think you have an issue with grinding your teeth, don’t put off seeing a dentist. Call us and consult one of our Williamsburg dentists at Norge Dental Center.   We’ll help you create the right plan to treat the cause of your teeth grinding.