When you have a cavity or gum disease, the effects on your teeth and gum tissues are often easily noticeable during a routine dental exam. For some conditions, however, the threat to your smile may not be so immediately obvious. For instance, bruxism (the excessive grinding of your teeth) may not be noticeable until your teeth become extensively damaged. The good news is that you can be sure of bruxism’s presence and seek appropriate treatment in time if you maintain a regular schedule of checkup and cleaning appointments at your dentist’s office.
Excessive Teeth-Grinding
Bruxism is the clinical name of the condition that causes patients to consistently and unconsciously grind their teeth, most often at night. While occasionally clenching your teeth together may not be particularly harmful, constantly doing it can wear teeth down, leading to a host of increasingly worse dental issues if not treated.
What Bruxism Does to Your Oral Health
Healthy teeth are the most resilient parts of our bodies, and they’re meant to withstand a lifetime of pressure from biting and chewing your food. However, the intense pressure that your bite produces can cause irreversible damage to your teeth when they’re forced against each other. By grinding away and wearing down the chewing surfaces of your teeth, bruxism can change the way your bite functions, making it harder for your jaw to operate properly.
How to Treat It
For many patients who exhibit bruxism, we can help them protect their teeth and alleviate the problem with a custom-designed oral appliance, or guard. The guard protects your teeth from grinding while you sleep, preventing damage and excessive wear to your teeth. If your bruxism is caused by bite misalignment, such as crooked teeth, then your treatment may also involve correcting the issue with clear aligners, such as Invisalign.
Talk to Your Dentist About Bruxism Treatment
If you exhibit signs of bruxism, then the damage to your teeth will grow increasingly worse until you visit your dentist for appropriate treatment. To learn more, schedule your appointment by calling Keelan Dental in Butler, PA, today at (724) 285-4153. Our Smile Certified experts happily serve patients from Butler, Cranberry Township, Mars, Pittsburgh, Butler County, and all surrounding communities.