Tooth Grinding Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Are you constantly living in pain from grinding, clenching or gnashing your teeth? For many people, teeth grinding happens during sleep and only the presence of a sore jaw or constant headache is the sign that they are grinding their teeth at night.

While your dentist can look for signs of bruxism – the technical term for teeth grinding – it is important to know the root cause. Teeth grinding that happens on a regular basis can damage your teeth and cause other health complications. Usually the grinding is caused by an over- or underbite, or even missing or crooked teeth. Occasionally, the causes can also be stress, anxiety or sleep apnoea.

Depending on the source, you might be able to tackle your teeth grinding problem head on and solve the issue promptly. More often than not, you will need to consult a dentist for a true analysis of the issue and to find out what has spurred your teeth grinding.

Chronic grinding can lead to fracturing, loosening or loss of ‘adult’ teeth. Often, chronic teeth grinders require more permanent results. These can include dental solutions, such as: bridges, crowns, implants or dentures. Occasionally, fractured and worn-down teeth cause pain and continuing without dental treatment could cause further damage.
Usually, bruxism is involuntary, and treatment can be quite simple. Depending on the root cause, your dentist can help you with a multitude of solutions for your teeth grinding. One option is having your dentist fit you with a custom mouth guard or ‘bite splint’. This is an immediate solution and can prevent further damage to your teeth. A ‘bite splint’ is a special plastic piece that is fitted to your teeth and is typically consider the best option for most patients.

If the cause is a sleeping disorder like sleep apnoea, you may need to discuss a custom apnoea mouth guard or jaw strap to help with the grinding. When the cause is incorrect tooth alignment, it is even more important to see your dentist for consultation.

As with anything dental or oral health related, consulting your dentist is the primary step to reaching a solution. Care Family Dental Toorak team can help repair tooth damage, fix old fillings or provide the custom bite splint for your teeth grinding. It is important to receive a complete initial exam and following the session, your dentist will develop a treatment plan specialised for you and your oral health needs.

Contact our reception today for more information and book in with our team of friendly, professional dentists to solve your teeth grinding issues today.

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