A peaceful night of sleep may be more active than you realize, as you could spend your night unconsciously grinding and clenching your teeth. If you do have a tendency to do this, the issue—bruxism—can have real consequences for your smile as well as your oral health! At our Charles City, IA dentist’s office, we are prepared to help when patients show signs of wear and tear that suggest bruxism is an issue, or when they come to see us about frequent issues with discomfort whenever they wake up. In addition to providing an appliance to protect you while you rest, we can evaluate you to see what kind of treatment you might need to address the physical effects of wear and tear.
Unresolved Problems With Teeth Grinding Can Have Serious Consequences
When you grind and clench your jaw while you rest, you can put pressure on the joints and muscles in a way that leads to worsening discomfort. You can also experience difficulties with your dental health as you wear down your enamel. Unfortunately, the problems you experience will worsen over time, leading to more risks for smile problems as well as difficulties with pain and stiffness when you bite, chew, and speak. If you start to suspect that you have problems with bruxism, you should let your dentist know so that the matter can be resolved.
Wearing A Custom Appliance To Keep Your Smile Safe
By designing a custom oral appliance for you to wear as you rest, you can protect yourself from the harmful effects of bruxism. After putting this appliance in place, you can stop wear and tear by keeping your teeth apart, and you can reduce stress on your joints and muscles. In addition to avoiding damage to your enamel, you are less likely to develop TMJ problems because of mounting joint stress.
Dealing With Wear And Tear That Already Affects You
Will wear and tear require restorative dental work, or can you discuss a more conservative cosmetic procedure? An evaluation by your dentist will determine what approach should be taken. Simply put, you may have done more harm to your teeth than we can address with a cosmetic procedure, which means we may need to restore them with dental crowns. However, if you address the matter in time, we can review services that make fewer changes to your enamel and still deliver impressive results!
Talk To Your Charles City, IA Dentist About Bruxism
The sooner you let your Charles City, IA dentist know that you have issues with bruxism, the sooner you can address a problem that negatively affects your appearance and qualify of life! For more information, or to begin a discussion about treating this issue, please contact Central Park Dentistry at (641) 228-1115.
