For many people, teeth grinding is a serious issue. Medically known as "bruxism," it's a condition that can result in problems ranging from minor, irritating aches to major physical damage to your teeth and jaws. Thankfully, there are a few solutions, some of which require a cosmetic dentist, but not all. Here's what you need to know. 

What to Know About Teeth Grinding

What are the effects? 

As mentioned above, pain is the most common effect. It's usually localized in the teeth, jaw, and face but can also manifest as headaches. More severe cases of bruxism can lead to worn down, cracked, and fractured teeth; if you have a filling or a crown, the motion can also break those. 

What are the causes?

Bruxism is often caused by stress and a misaligned bite. When it happens strictly at night when a person is asleep, it's known as "sleep bruxism" and is usually tied to other sleep disorders like snoring and sleep apnea. On rare occasions, it may also be a side effect of certain medications like antidepressants. 

What are treatment options?

There are various treatment options and each depends on the extent of the problem. If the grinding is mild, the most common treatment is a mouthguard. You can find some over-the-counter at many drugstores, but if those don't work, a cosmetic dentist can create a custom-fitted one. 

Another common treatment is reductive coronoplasty. This is a procedure done by a cosmetic dentist that reshapes a patient's teeth or the level of their bite so that it's no longer misaligned.

Can teeth grinding be prevented? 

The previously mentioned treatments can help minimize the effect of teeth grinding, but other than that, you'll need to tackle the underlying cause: stress. Therapy, exercise, and meditation have all been proven to alleviate or mitigate stress to various degrees. One or a combination of them may be your best treatment plan. Additionally, whenever possible, try to minimize your exposure to external stressors.

If teeth grinding has been a problem for you, Waterford Dental Health can help. As the trusted family, sedation, and cosmetic dentists of the Waterford, CT, region, their expert team will know exactly what to do. They offer comprehensive dentistry, so if you need teeth cleaning as well, they can do that too. You can see a list of their dental services online, but if you're ready to schedule a consultation, call (860) 447-2235.