When it comes to your oral health, there are some things you know you shouldn’t do. You know that you shouldn’t forget to brush your teeth. You also know that sugary treats aren’t good for them either.
But what if you’re damaging your teeth without realizing it. That’s what happens when you have bruxism.
Here, Dr. Thomas Hernandez, our expert dentist at Heritage Dental, looks at bruxism and what it does to your oral health.
What is bruxism?
Bruxism is a condition where you frequently grind, gnash, or clench your teeth — often while you sleep without noticing it.
If you have bruxism during the day, it’s called awake bruxism. This typically stems from emotional issues, such as anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, and tension. For some, it’s a coping mechanism; for others, it’s a bad habit.
Teeth grinding that happens during the night is known as sleep bruxism. This is considered a sleep-related movement disorder and is usually accompanied by other sleep-related conditions, including sleep apnea.
Bruxism can impact anyone, but some factors may put you at a higher risk than others, including:
- Taking certain medications
- Having a hyperactive, aggressive, or competitive personality
- Living with unmanaged stress
- Having a family history of bruxism
Young children are also at an increased risk for bruxism. Identifying your risk factors can help you avoid developing bruxism or alert you to seek professional help before it takes hold and damages your teeth.
How bruxism damages your teeth
If you have bruxism, it’s only a matter of time until oral health problems crop up. The following list shows how chronic teeth grinding impacts your teeth and gums.
Tooth damage
First and foremost, bruxism puts the integrity of your teeth at risk. Constant grinding and gnashing lead to enamel erosion. Enamel is the tough white outer layer of your teeth. As you grind, your teeth become more sensitive and even lose some of their height, which can cause bite problems.
Your teeth also become much weaker and more prone to loosening, chipping, or fracturing. Bruxism can also damage crowns, bridges, or other dental appliances.
Gum recession
As you continue to grind your teeth and as your teeth shift under pressure, your gums are next in line to suffer the consequences. The shift in your teeth creates pockets where bacteria hide and fester. The resulting infection causes your gum tissue to slowly pull away from your teeth.
Other complications
Your teeth and gums aren’t the only structures under pressure when you have bruxism. The condition also triggers temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and migraines.
How we can help
If you have bruxism, Dr. Hernandez can tell just by looking at your teeth. Fortunately, the road to recovery is simple.
First, we address the damage, restoring your crowns and bridges and using veneers to restore your weakened teeth.
Then, depending on the severity of your bruxism, we may recommend that you get fitted for a mouth guard to protect your teeth at night. If your bruxism occurs mainly during the day, we may suggest that you employ stress management techniques to control your teeth grinding.
If you’d like more information about bruxism or suspect you have a problem with teeth grinding, we invite you to request an appointment online or over the phone at our Tomball, Texas, office today.
