Grinding your teeth, also known as bruxism, is common for many people. Signs that you suffer from teeth grinding: you wake up frequently with a headache, sore teeth, or an achy jaw, you notice yourself clenching your jaw while you are awake, or if you have sensitivity to cold, hot, or sweet food. Grinding your teeth can be a symptom of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Interestingly enough, bruxism can also cause TMJ disorder. Treating bruxism is important to protect your oral health. Your dentist can outfit you with a custom oral appliance to help prevent your teeth from grinding against one another and causing problems.
TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder can lead to chronic headaches, pain in the face, jaw, mouth, neck, and shoulders. The excessive wear on your jaw can lead to jaw popping and lockjaw, which is when your jaw locks into place. Lockjaw can be immensely painful, and you may require help to move it again.
Decay and Damage
Grinding your teeth creates constant friction between your teeth. This amount of friction can lead to tiny fractures in the surface of your teeth. These tiny fractures become cracks for bacteria to enter get within the tooth, and can speed up the process of tooth decay. It allows tooth decay and bacteria to get right to the inner layers of your tooth. The same fractures that allow bacteria inside the tooth can also leave the surface of your teeth on the verge of breakage. Weak, cracked teeth are susceptible to more serious tooth fractures. Bruxism can crowns, bridges, and fillings susceptible to breaking.
Sensitivity
Tiny fractures created by tooth grinding cause your teeth to be sensitive to cold, hot, or sweet foods because the tiny cracks on the surface of the teeth expose the inner areas of the tooth to the elements.
Treating your teeth grinding can prevent problems.
Grinding your teeth can create problems for your oral health. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Carmona at Austin Prosthodontics in Austin, TX, call 512-250-9444. We also proudly welcome patients from Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Leander, and all surrounding Texas communities.
