When you grind your teeth on a nightly or near-nightly basis, this could eventually damage your smile and alter the overall beauty, while also leaving teeth vulnerable to decay and infection. Known as bruxism, this could mean serious trouble for your oral health and smile function! In today’s blog, your Conroe, TX, dentist talks about treating bruxism, and how you can limit your risk and protect your smile from discomfort and other complications.

The Causes and Dangers of Teeth Grinding

Why do we grind or clench our teeth so frequently? Causes often include issues that upset bite balance and strain jaw joints, such as tooth loss, malocclusion, injury to the face or jaw, complications with the growth of the smile, or even untreated TMJ disorder. For others, high levels of stress could be a factor, and the consumption of caffeinated foods and drinks could exacerbate it. Without treatment, this could expose sensitive inner tooth structures to bacteria, allowing cavities and infections to develop. The appearance of your smile could change as well. Treatment is crucial for protecting the health and stability of your smile, as some complications, like an infected tooth, could lead to premature tooth loss.

Treatment with an Oral Appliance

If you experience common symptoms, such as headaches, migraines, jaw pain, neck and facial aches, or toothaches and tooth sensitivity, then let us know. We will examine your smile for the telltale signs of wear and friction. Treatment often requires a noninvasive and comfortable oral appliance, one that fits like a mouthguard and is worn as you sleep. We craft and custom-fit them based on detailed digital images we gather of your smile, so they offer treatment with precision and accuracy. When worn, they reposition your jaw to improve the bite. They also put a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage! We could also offer relief with braces or aligners to correct misalignment, or crowns or contouring to improve overall bite balance too.

Repairing Damaged Teeth

When you have minor chips and cracks, we could rebuild this structure in one visit with dental bonding, employing the same lifelike composite resin that we use to treat fillings. In addition, we could craft custom-made dental crowns that help restore the tooth and prevent further decay or infection. We want you to continue to smile with confidence!

If you have any questions about how we treat issues like bruxism, or about how to help protect your smile, then contact our team today to learn more.

Schedule Your Appointment Today!

Contact The Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX by calling 936-441-4600 to schedule your next appointment with our team and learn more about how we put a stop to chronic teeth grinding.