Whether due to stress or strain on your jaw, bruxism could develop and without treatment, damage your smile. Chronic teeth grinding can also be a source of serious discomfort! But our team is ready to help. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how we stop bruxism with a custom and comfortable oral appliance.
The Risks of Chronic Teeth Grinding
Why do we grind our teeth? As we mentioned above, a high level of stress in our daily life could be a factor. But issues that upset bite balance and strain the jaw joints could also lead to bruxism. These factors could include untreated TMJ disorder, missing teeth, injury to the face or jaw, dental misalignment, or issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of the teeth. The arrival of the wisdom teeth could be a factor too. You need to seek treatment because over time, the pressure on your teeth from grinding and clenching could wear them down so they appear shorter than normal. As the teeth are worn down, cracked, and chipped from the pressure, this could increase the risk of tooth decay and infection.
The Symptoms of Bruxism
What symptoms should you be aware of? For some, a significant other could alter them to their nighttime teeth grinding. But there are also symptoms that occur during waking hours. For example, you could wake up with pain in your face or jaw. You could experience toothaches and tooth sensitivity. There could be a popping or clicking in your jaw, as well as headaches and migraines. Don’t ignore persistent pain in and around your face, talk to our team about a consultation and exam, so we can find out if you need treatment.
Treatment with a Custom Oral Appliance
For some, we could offer clear aligners to correct misalignment and ease strain. We could replace missing teeth with a prosthetic, such as a bridge, and even improve bite balance with crown or bonding procedures. But for many, we offer a solution with a comfortable and noninvasive oral appliance. The device will look and fit like a mouthguard and is worn as you sleep. The device then repositions your jaw to correct any underlying stress and strain. The appliance also places a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage. The appliance will be easy to use and clean, and it can travel with you on the road this summer!
Schedule Your Appointment for an Oral Appliance
With a custom oral appliance, we can offer a noninvasive solution for teeth grinding. To schedule your next appointment with our team, contact Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS in Astoria, NY by calling 718-728-8320 today.
