207 North Jackson Street, Charles City, IA 50616

Can Grinding Your Teeth Really Cause Oral Health Problems?

One physical response to stress that many people experience is an increase in unconscious teeth grinding. This can be uncomfortable during the day, but it can be a particularly worrying problem if you engage in this habit while you sleep. Over time, nighttime teeth grinding can lead to wear and tear that hurts your smile, or even damage that requires restorative dental work! At our Charles City, IA dentist’s office, we can help you control this habit so that it does not affect your smile any further. With a custom oral appliance, we can make sure that your teeth are safe while you sleep. We can also perform the necessary services to restore teeth that are affected by teeth grinding.

A Teeth Grinding Habit Can Result In Serious Smile Trouble

Habitual teeth grinding, or bruxism, can become a serious oral health problem. In time, the friction that you continue to place on your teeth can change their shape by wearing them down. Eventually, you can actually develop chips or cracks in your teeth that turn this problem into an active oral health issue. The longer you wait to see a dentist about this issue, the more likely you are to have complications that must be resolved.

Stopping Your Nightly Teeth Grinding Habit

The custom oral appliance given to you by your dentist for bruxism will help you sleep soundly without concerns about dental damage. When in place, this appliance will keep your teeth apart so that there is no friction placed on them. By stopping you from putting pressure on your teeth throughout the night, we can also help you avoid trouble with TMJ disorder, which can become a concern.

Addressing Damage That Has Already Affected Your Smile

The amount of damage already done to your smile by the time you seek treatment will affect what your dentist has to do to fully restore your smile. Some patients will require restorative dental work, including the placement of dental crowns on vulnerable teeth, to fully recover from this problem. If your wear and tear has not affected your oral health, but has affected the way you look, we can discuss the benefits of cosmetic dentistry. Porcelain veneers make it possible for us to hide damage, improve the shape of teeth, and give you more confidence in the way you look.

Talk To Your Charles City, IA Dentist About Your Teeth Grinding Issues

At our Charles City, IA dentist’s office, patients who have experienced problems with teeth grinding can count on our services to restore their smile and oral health. In addition to giving you a custom guard that keeps your teeth safe, we can provide you with the appropriate treatment to deal with any damage that has already affected your enamel. To learn more, contact Central Park Dentistry at (641) 228-1115.