When you grind or clench your teeth on a regular basis, this is known as bruxism. Without treatment, bruxism could damage your teeth and leave your smile vulnerable to cavities and dental infections. In today’s blog, your Virginia Beach, VA, dentist talks about treating teeth grinding.
The Causes of Bruxism
Bruxism occurs when the balance of your bite is used, which results in misplaced pressure. This could be caused by complications with the growth of your smile and certain oral structures, as well as issues with the eruption of your teeth or the arrival of wisdom teeth. Tooth loss is a factor, as is dental misalignment. Injury to your face or jaw, and untreated TMJ disorder could be a potential cause as well. For some, chronic teeth grinding is due to high levels of stress in your daily life. As part of your treatment, we will conduct a detailed examination to assess the cause and extent of your bruxism.
The Impact on Your Smile
Without treatment, the consistent grinding and clenching places enormous pressure on your smile. The teeth could be worn down, or even cracked or chipped. The damage then exposes the sensitive inner structure to harmful oral bacteria, allowing cavities and infections to develop that threaten your oral health. To avoid these concerns and restore balance and health to your smile, you need to see us for treatment.
Repairing the Teeth
If you have damaged teeth, we can offer repair. For minor chips and cracks, we can apply dental bonding in one visit to repair and restore the teeth. For more severe impacts, we could create a dental crown that looks natural and blends with your smile, but is also very durable and strong.
Oral Appliances
With oral appliance therapy, we will take detailed digital images of your smile from multiple angles, and then combine them to create an oral appliance that fits and looks like a mouthguard. When worn during sleep, the device actually repositions the jaw to ease pressure and strain, so you avoid fourth grinding episodes. The device also puts a barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage! If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat oral health concerns like bruxism, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule a Consultation With Your Virginia Beach, VA, Dentist
We’re ready to help you avoid teeth grinding and clenching episodes with an oral appliance. Call Absolute Dental Care in Virginia Beach, VA at 757-428-7440 to schedule an appointment for your family soon! Our team wants to help you and your family enjoy optimal oral health for years to come, and can address common issues like bruxism that otherwise threaten your oral health.
