For many, finding out that they grind or clench their teeth during sleep is a more common occurrence than one might realize. It is the telltale sign of a dental issue known as bruxism, and it can have a lasting impact on your oral health, potentially leading to tooth decay and other notable concerns.

Permanent damage to your teeth may require significant treatment to fix, so it’s best to deal with this condition as soon as you become aware of it. Thankfully, a reliable dentist in Berrien Springs can help.

How Bruxism Affects Your Smile

Bruxism is a serious dental issue because grinding and clenching your teeth on a regular basis wears away at the enamel—the outer protective layer of a tooth. Once worn away, enamel doesn’t grow back. This condition therefore, leads to thinner enamel over time, ultimately leaving you with sensitive teeth that are susceptible to cavities, decay, and even tooth loss altogether.

Grinding and clenching can also lead to major forces between opposing teeth, especially if the patient also faces alignment issues. In some cases, these forces are powerful enough to chip and crack teeth, potentially leading to a dental emergency. You may find yourself in dire need of a dental crown or other restorative dentistry treatments.

However, bruxism affects more than just your teeth; the constant grinding and clenching puts a lot of tension on your jaw, specifically the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The extensive network of muscles and nerves surrounding the TMJ can become strained, leading to a wide range of symptoms. Jaw pain, headaches, earaches, and other symptoms are commonly associated with TMJ disorders.

Common Causes of Bruxism

Patients often face a combination of factors that contribute to bruxism. Stress, for instance, is among the primary causes of grinding and clenching teeth. If you’re facing challenges at work or in other situations in your life, they could be causing your bruxism without you even realizing it.

Sleep disorders are also closely linked to bruxism; sleep apnea, for instance, is a common disorder where a patient wakes suddenly throughout the night due to restricted airflow. Bruxism is closely tied to sleep apnea; so if you’re not getting high-quality sleep, you’re more likely to engage in grinding and clenching.

The alignment of your teeth can also lead to bruxism. Your upper and lower arches should fit together neatly, but for many patients, that isn’t the case. Issues such as underbites, overbites, and more complex alignment concerns can cause your teeth to sit improperly, leading to an awkward or uncomfortable bite that leads to frequent movement during sleep.

Lastly, certain lifestyle habits can also contribute to your risk of bruxism. Caffeine consumption is among the most prominent, especially if you’re drinking things like coffee or tea later in the day. Smoking and alcohol consumption are tied to an increased risk of bruxism as well, along with the many other oral health concerns they pose.

How to Stop Grinding and Clenching

Living with untreated bruxism may lead to long-term damage to your smile, which means it’s best to act as quickly as possible. There are a variety of methods that can address bruxism depending on the specific factors at play; your dentist will evaluate your particular case to find the right solution for your unique needs.

Some treatments focus on the direct neuromuscular issues at hand. Custom-fitted nightguards are a great example; these protect your teeth during sleep, preventing damage. They also hold your jaw in the proper position to help alleviate grinding and clenching, so they can also address jaw pain and other symptoms. In fact, they are sometimes used to tackle both bruxism and sleep apnea at the same time.

If stress is an underlying factor, then stress management techniques can go a long way toward helping you handle your bruxism. Making time for yourself throughout the day is important. There are also specific relaxation exercises such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and mindfulness, all of which can help reduce your overall stress or deal with particularly pressuring events.

When a misalignment contributes to bruxism, the most effective option is to seek out proper dental care. Restoring your teeth alignment can help alleviate the symptoms of bruxism and help prevent other oral health issues associated with misalignment at the same time. These solutions could include traditional braces or more modern options such as Invisalign.

Protect your smile and relieve the pain.

If you’ve been dealing with morning headaches, jaw pain, or visible wear affecting your teeth, it’s time to take action against bruxism. Putting off treatment can lead to lasting damage to your smile, so visit a Berrien Springs dentist who works in neuromuscular dentistry as soon as you can.

Schedule a consultation with Berrien Dental today to find a personalized solution to your bruxism challenges.