Waking up with sore and sensitive teeth, experiencing jaw pain and stiffness in the morning, and observing changes in your smile brought on by wear and tear are all signs that you struggle with bruxism. Nightly teeth grinding can lead to serious trouble for your oral health and appearance when not addressed. Fortunately, you can receive support from your Charles City, IA dentist if this affects you. By protecting your smile with a custom guard, you can avoid the problems linked to bruxism. At a routine exam, we can identify signs of teeth grinding and clenching and talk to you about using a guard to stop the issue from growing worse.
Is Bruxism Really A Serious Concern?
If you do not act in time, your trouble with bruxism can lead to serious dental damage. Nightly wear and tear from grinding and clenching your teeth can change the way you look, making your smile appear older and less healthy. The damage to your enamel can gradually worsen as you continue to experience this trouble. Friction can lead to chipped and cracked teeth that require restorative dental work!
Protecting Your Smile With A Custom Appliance
To stop problems with bruxism before they grow too serious, your dentist can recommend that you wear a custom guard while you sleep. The guard that you receive is a custom appliance designed to comfortably protect your smile. Because it is made with your smile in mind, we can make sure that it is comfortable and secure. In addition to protecting you from further enamel damage, preventing you from grinding and clenching also relieves stress on your jaw joints and muscles.
Restoring Teeth Damaged From Persistent Grinding
At an evaluation, we can check on the condition of your enamel and see if treatment is called for to address wear and tear. Superficial problems can make cosmetic dental work appropriate. A cosmetic procedure can make improvements with conservative work to reshape worn or damaged teeth to make them look younger, healthier, and more uniform. For more serious damage to your teeth, we can place dental crowns to protect against further damage, and to restore your bite. If you damage one of your front teeth, we can place a crown made from porcelain or zirconia to preserve your appearance.
Talk To Your Charles City, IA Dentist About Bruxism
When you unconsciously grind and clench your teeth while you sleep, you can experience persistent pain and sensitivity issues. In time, the wear and tear can be severe enough to cause physical harm that can make dental work necessary! Our Charles City, IA dentist’s office can identify signs of bruxism and recommend treatment to protect your smile and oral health. To find out more, contact Central Park Dentistry at (641) 228-1115.