Although common, grinding your teeth is an unhealthy habit that occasionally requires treatment to fix. Many people are unaware of their nightly bruxism sessions until a loved one brings it to their attention. If you find yourself waking with headaches, sore jaw muscles, or other discomfort associated with your mouth, head, or neck, it may be time to speak to your dentist. There are many treatments available, and you may find that destressing your life can greatly reduce the occurrence of teeth grinding.

Quiz!

1. True or False: Only women grind their teeth because they are usually more stressed.
2. True or False: Clenching and grinding your teeth can result in severe damage including tooth loss.
3. True or False: Bruxism only occurs while your sleep.
4. True or False: Tmj Disorder is often a side effect of grinding your teeth.

Answers:

1. While it was once thought that more women experience bruxism due to higher stress levels, research has indicated that an equal number of men and women clench or grind their teeth; but women tend to do so more often during the day.
2. When you bite down, your teeth exert an extreme amount of pressure on one another, especially while you sleep. This pressure combined with the back and forth motion of grinding can have extremely serious side effects. You may experience cracked or broken teeth, damage of fillings, pain in your jaw joints, tooth sensitivity, headaches, and even tooth loosening or loss.
3. Technically, bruxism can occur day or night. Most people will clench or grind their teeth occasionally during the day, and never experience any negative side effects. If this habit continues once you are asleep, you may begin to notice painful symptoms developing as a result.
4. Because TMJ Disorder directly involves the joints responsible for allowing you to chew and move your jaw, it is common to see teeth grinding as a symptom in a TMJ patient. Excessive grinding and clenching of your teeth can cause extreme fatigue and soreness in your jaw joints.

ABOUT YOUR CONROE GENERAL DENTIST:

The Dental Centre of Conroe, John M Richards DDS delivers distinctive cosmetic, restorative, and implant dentistry for residents of Conroe, Houston, The Woodlands, Willis, Huntsville, and the neighboring communities. For more information about our services, or to schedule an appointment, contact us by calling (936) 441-4600.