Grinding Your Teeth?

When I moved out to Thornton as a dental assistant I had a man tell me once that his wife said his eyes "squeaked at night." As a dental assistant I couldn’t help but notice his teeth were filed off straight. It wasn’t his eyes that were squeaking at night, it was his teeth. Patients will come into the dental office and complain about stiff and sore jaws, many having no idea that they are involuntarily and unconsciously grinding their teeth at night. This is known as bruxism, and it can wreak havoc, causing damage to the jaw and the teeth-- even splitting and chipping them, and sometimes worse.

Bruxism is generally thought to be caused by stress. It is not something the patient can control since most often it happens while the patient is sleeping. There is an effective solution. The dentist takes impressions of the teeth and a nightguard is made. This is a piece of plastic (acrylic) made to fit precisely over the patient’s teeth upper. It actually keeps the teeth from clamping down completely and putting tremendous pressure on the jaw. In addition to keeping the teeth from clamping down completely, it allows the teeth to move harmlessly side to side and prevents damage to the teeth. his is another good reason to see your dentist on a regular basis.

Most people have no trouble getting used to wearing a nightguard, and in fact come to rely upon it. One note of caution: Dogs LOVE nightguards, and many times when one has gone missing, it will be found chewed to pieces by Fido. All in all, If grinding has caused damage, the damage may be corrected with crowns or onlays. This will restore the teeth to a healthy state and restore the length and appearance.

Bruxism is sometimes seen in children and may be not treated if baby teeth-a.k.a. as primary teeth-are involved since they will be lost anyway. In children who have their adult teeth, the treatment is basically the same as in an adult. A good thornton dentist or cosmetic dentist can often hekp.

The cost of a nightguard will run anywhere from $200 to $600, and should include the initial and any follow-up visits required. Just remember-don’t let the dog get it!