Although patients often disregard teeth grinding as an unimportant part of their dental health, teeth grinding can become a serious issue over time because it can lead to jaw pain, tooth loss and even loss of hearing. As a LA family dentist, this is something we often stress to our patients.
To address this issue, LA family dentists create teeth guards for patients so that the grinding does not damage the teeth. This being said, it is also important to know what steps one should follow when teeth’s grinding gets out of control, even if the patient is using a guard.
In this blog article we will consider the causes of tooth grinding and the possible solutions LA family dentists often suggest to patients to avoid the consequences of what is also know as bruxism.
Bruxism, or teeth grinding, can be caused by stress or by an uneven balance of your teeth. The way in which your jaw is situated determines how your bite fits together. Fortunately, there are different procedures to help patients. The most common solution is to provide a mouth guard to the patient so that even if grinding takes place during the night the teeth are not damage. Other bite appliances can be custom made, so ask your doctor about your specific case and try out some solutions. If your problem is related to an unbalance on your jaw, it is possible that the procedures the dentist will suggest will involve bite adjustments, and extra bite appliances
It is important to ask your dentist for some instruction on what is occurring with your teeth. The best patient is an informed patient. Understanding the problems you have can ease your anxiety toward the procedures you will go through.