How to Determine if You’re Grinding Your Teeth and Why it’s Important to Stop
Mon, Sep 9th, 2019
What are your nervous or anxious habits? Common nervous habits that people have are nail-biting, foot-tapping, avoiding eye contact, and twirling their hair. Some habits are completely harmless, but some can actually cause you lots of pain over an extended period of time. One behavior that can be detrimental to your oral and overall health, in addition to being very difficult to reverse, is teeth grinding (bruxism).
People usually grind their teeth for two reasons… stress and anxiety. Although stress and anxiety can cause people to grind their teeth, it oftentimes happens when they are sleeping. Other reasons why individuals grind their teeth could stem from an abnormal bite (from crooked or missing teeth), or it could be caused by a sleep disorder (sleep apnea). In this blog, we’ll discuss how to know if you’re grinding your teeth while asleep, and why it’s important to stop once you realize it.
How do I Know if I’m Grinding My Teeth?
As we stated above, people often grind their teeth when they are sleeping… so what are some tell-tale signs of bruxism?
- Sore jaw
- Constant dull headache
- Reduction of teeth
- Partner can hear it
If you or your partner notice any of these signs, it’s very important to take action immediately before symptoms become exponentially worse.
Why is it Important to Take Action?
In some severe cases, chronic grinding can lead to fractured, loose, or missing teeth which will be painful for both you… and your wallet. Repeated grinding could cause your teeth to wear down so much that they are reduced down to stumps. When your teeth are put through this much stress, procedures such as these may be necessary…
- Dental Bridges
- Dental Crowns
- Root Canals
- Dentures
Your teeth aren’t the only thing to suffer from bruxism. Your jaw can become unbearably sore and cause TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder).
How Can Arnold Dentistry Help?
If you have been experiencing pain or noticing teeth grinding, call Arnold Dentistry and we’ll schedule an appointment to resolve the issue!