Teeth Grinding

A lot of people are habituated from childhood to grind their teeth almost every time. Some may do it simply as they sit idle while some would do it unconsciously at night time during sleep. This force of habit can have a serious effect on your teeth. This post intends to educate you on the harmful effects of teeth grinding and why it should be avoided.
Before we begin on how to get rid of the problem, let’s take a closer look at the problem itself.

Why Do Some People Grind Their Teeth?

The dentist at Toluca Lake clinic suggests that teeth grinding in people may often be a consequence of stress and anxiety. Most importantly, you often experience it during sleep because such people aren’t able to deal with their stress during the day. As a result, it bothers them at night, perhaps in the form of bad dreams and also teeth grinding.

Besides that, the issue may also be a result of an abnormal bite, missing tooth, or crooked teeth. People with such problems may also indulge in the grinding of teeth. It may be due to sleep apnea, a popular sleep disorder in adults.

How to Determine If You Suffer from Teeth Grinding?

Interestingly, most people who grind their teeth do so at night during sleep. As such, they’re often unaware of even doing so, let alone knowing that they have a problem. However, the dentist at Toluca Lake can help.

If you tend to experience a dull and consistent headache during the day, it’s best to consult your dentist. Besides that, check for other symptoms like a sore jaw after waking up. All these are common telltale signs of bruxism or teeth grinding. A visit to My Dentist Toluca Lake clinic may help determine for sure if you have the problem.

They would talk to you to know more about whether or not you really experience teeth grinding. In most cases, a more clear answer can be sought from someone sleeping close to you at night. This is because they’d be the ones to clearly hear the sound of your teeth grinding while you’re asleep.

Your Toluca Lake dentist may also talk to your loved ones/family members to clearly determine the issue. Most importantly, they’d examine your mouth to check for sore jaw or excessive wearing of teeth.

Harmful Effects of Teeth Grinding

It may seem like a simple issue at the outset, one that’s a fallout of compulsive habit. However, teeth grinding can have some serious effects on the health of your teeth. Chronic teeth grinding issues cause tooth fractures, loosening of the tooth, or even tooth loss.
Besides that, excessive grinding may cause teeth wearing which may result in the need for dental implants or even dentures. Most important, chronic teeth grinding can also impact the jaws causing TMJ disorders. This may change your facial appearance.

Ways to Stop Teeth Grinding

The first step is to visit your dentist at Toluca Lake. They would be able to suggest some easy measures to get rid of the habit. For instance, wearing a mouth guard at night can prevent teeth from grinding in sleep. Besides that, if the habit is because of stress, talk to your dentist about measures to reduce stress or anxiety.

They may refer you to counseling sessions, start an exercise regime, or see a physical therapist. If a sleep disorder is an issue, your dentist would recommend going for treatment first to resolve the issue.

You too can speak to your dentistry Dentist Toluca Lake clinic by calling on 818-483-9077. Book an appointment with our dentists and visit us for a consultation.