Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is one of the most common yet overlooked issues that many patients suffer from. If you don’t know what bruxism is, it’s the involuntary action of clenching and grinding your teeth while awake or asleep. A dentist in Newburgh, NY, advises that if teeth grinding is left untreated, it leads to dental attrition, causing jaw pain, tooth loss, headache, and deteriorated enamel.
Luckily, several dental treatments are available to get rid of bruxism! But before proceeding with the treatments for teeth grinding, you must know what teeth grinding is and its causes. So, let’s get started!
Teeth Grinding: Overview
It’s a top-notch condition depicted by the obligatory clenching, grinding of teeth, and gnashing. Although occasional teeth grinding may not pose any threat, acute bruxism often leads to several dental issues and despair.
What are the Causes of Teeth Grinding?
The actual cause of bruxism isn’t fully known. It might be because of a combination of mental, physical, and genetic factors:
- Sleep Bruxism – It’s a sleep-oriented chewing exercise associated with brief disruption during sleep.
- Awake Bruxism – It might be because of emotions, for example, stress, anxiety, frustration, anger, tension, and stress. Teeth grinding might also be a coping mechanism or a habit while thinking or focusing.
Dental Treatment for Teeth Grinding
Luckily, a general dentist in NY can offer a straightforward and efficient treatment for bruxism. These reduce discomfort and provide uninterrupted sleep.
- Lifestyle Changes – A dentist might diagnose patients with straightforward lifestyle modifications that minimize teeth grinding. For instance, it’s often augmented by alcohol consumption and caffeine. Moreover, being conscious of daytime teeth grinding might aid the jaw muscles in relaxing, minimizing symptoms, and potentially facilitating the act of nighttime grinding.
Placing a warm and wet towel under the chin during sleeping is the most straightforward trick that might work for some patients. Indeed, some of the minor lifestyle modifications won’t give significant results for everyone. Nevertheless, a dentist can deliver several potential solutions and more trusted interventions. Simply put, many lifestyle changes will stimulate better sleep even though they can’t control the bruxism.
- Night Guards – Patients with bruxism often suggest the use of night guards. These best oral appliances act as a shield, deterring teeth from grinding against each other while sleeping. Custom-fit appliances made by a dentist provide a relaxing and efficient solution to teeth grinding while positioning the jaw to alleviate pain.
- Dental Corrections – In instances where misshapen teeth cause bruxism, orthodontic treatments or modifications, such as veneers and crowns, might be recommended to realign the bite and reduce the pressure on the jaw.
- Stress Management – Since anxiety and stress are some primary triggers of bruxism, proper stress management skills, for example, deep breathing exercises, meditation, or therapy, might help with symptoms. Doing pleasant activities before bed may improve sleep quality and alleviate teeth grinding.
- Jaw Exercises and Massage – Stretching exercises, applying hot packs to the jaw, and massaging jaw muscles can help ease and deter the jaw from clenching at night.
- Botox Injections – Botox injections into the masseter muscles of the jaw help deplete the muscles and impede involuntary bruxism and jaw clenching. This strategy is used in acute cases of bruxism as it’s highly effective compared to other methods, like mouth guards.
Conclusion
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a dental condition with acute impacts if left untreated. Therefore, seeking a professional dentist’s help is advised if you’re dealing with bruxism. They will assess and explore the right treatment options customized to their requirements. By addressing the causes and using top-notch dental treatments as preventive measures, you can successfully mitigate the deteriorating effects of bruxism and boost top-notch oral health and well-being.
