How Much Damage Does Bruxism Cause?

It goes without saying that your smile serves many important purposes throughout the course of your life. From performing routine tasks such as biting, chewing, and eating to communicating your overall confidence and happiness in life, we as a society tend to place a heavy emphasis on our smile’s importance. While you may be making the effort to keep your teeth clean and protected, bear in mind that nontraditional dental concerns impact your health as well. In today’s blog, your Conroe, TX dentist discusses the way chronic teeth grinding can influence your smile’s health, as well as what you can expect from the treatment process.

Understanding the Root of the Problem

From a young age, you likely learned about the importance of caring for your teeth. More specifically, your parents or guardians likely insisted that you take care to brush your teeth at least twice a day. Not only did this process help you learn the proper way to care for your smile, but it also laid the foundation for a healthy, lifelong grin.

Indeed, dental prevention is considered to be the name of the game when it comes to taking care of your smile, but that does not mean it can protect your health from every element out there. As a matter of fact, prevention cannot account for nontraditional concerns such as chronic teeth grinding and emergencies caused by physical accidents, as these occur outside the realm of bacterial threat.

Chronic teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a phenomenon that occurs when a person tightly clenches his or her teeth together and moves the lower jaw from side to side, creating tension and friction. To learn more about this issue and how our team can help, give us a call today.

Immediate Threats to Structural Integrity

When an individual experiences bruxism, it often occurs when he or she is unconscious or sleeping. The friction and tension created by rubbing the structures together can lead to an increased chance of cracking or breaking, and can even result in an increased possibility of developing a dental infection. That being said, it is important to seek treatment sooner rather than waiting for later. Contact our office today to learn more about your options.

It Only Gets Worse

As if bruxism was not troubling in and of itself, it can also lead to an even more troubling concern known as TMJ disorder. This dangerous jaw dysfunction requires guided splint therapy to complete. Fortunately, our team can assist with early intervention in the form of an oral appliance so that you can ensure your teeth are protected while you slumber.

Learn More Today

Contact The Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX by calling 936-441-4600 to learn more about the damaging effects of untreated teeth grinding, and schedule your next appointment with our office today.