Teeth Grinding
Do you wake up in the morning with a dull, constant headache or a sore jaw? Or worse, do you wake up in the morning on the couch after being booted out of the bedroom by your partner who can no longer stand the annoying grinding noise? If you answer yes to these questions, you may suffer from nighttime teeth grinding or “Bruxism”.
Teeth grinding can cause big problems. Chronic teeth grinding can cause broken teeth, loose teeth, or even loss of teeth. You can wear your teeth down to just stumps. Even more serious, teeth grinding can alter the function of your jaws, cause hearing loss, headaches, muscle soreness and can cause or worsen TMD. TMD is Temporomandibular Disorder. The temporomandibular joint is a sliding hinge joint that connects the lower jaw to the bone of the skull. The joint lies immediately in front of your ear.
Teeth grinding can be caused by stress. Bruxism can be helped by a dental appliance called a night guard. The guard protects your teeth from detrimental wear.
Teeth Grinding can be cyclic and does not occur all the time. Though it can cause serious consequences to your teeth. Ask your dentist if you have any signs or symptoms described above.
