Grinding Teeth

The stress of living in our society today has wreaked havoc on the teeth of America. What does this mean? Take a look at your teeth and the ones surrounding you. If the two front teeth are not longer than the two side teeth, then most likely you may have a night grinding and clenching problem going on.

Research has shown us that almost all of us gnash and grit our teeth during sleep, its natural, like rapid eye movement. This uncontrolled rubbing is wearing down the teeth, causing people to look older than they
actually are, and in many instances altering the jaw joint and causing pain. Your best alternative to diminish or stop this from happening is to sleep in a custom-made plastic grinding appliance from your dentist. You will still grind, but instead of wearing down your beautiful teeth, you will wear down the plastic, thereby saving your enamel and possibly eliminating any headaches, and muscle pain. See your dentist to be sure
what’s right for you.

If you are experiencing jaw pain, headaches, muscle soreness, ringing in the ears or tooth wear, you probably have some form of TMD, temporomandibular dysfunction. Hopefully your discomfort is not to an uncomfortable level yet and you may have read about using a plastic night grinding appliance. There are a number of them sold in drug stores, usually very bulky, and ill fitting, but they may be a good starting point to be sure you can actually sleep with something in your mouth, before investing in a custom appliance made by your dentist. There are so many different styles and sizes, but usually they range from the very small NTI and NiteBite, to the larger full arch style.

If you suffer from grinding teeth or would like to ask a TMJ dentist about your jaw pain or related issues please contact our office for a consultation with our specialist.