Worn teeth?

Noticing that your teeth are worn down and cracked, feeling facial pain or headaches when you wake up in the morning may be obvious signs that you have a condition called bruxism.

Bruxism is the involuntary habit of clenching or grinding the teeth without any functional purpose. This can be very annoying both for the patient and for other people around him/her, since it causes a characteristic sound which is not pleasant.

This habit affects approximately 20% of the population. Usually patients who present it may experience ear pain, stiffness in the masticatory muscles, tooth sensitivity and pain in the joint that allows opening and closing the mouth.

There are two types of bruxism:

• Central location: Dental clenching occurs, damages the neck of the teeth, often accompanied by headaches which are of muscular origin.
• Eccentric: It consists of tooth grinding, which produces wear on the edge of the teeth.

The same patient can present both types of bruxism, either during sleep, which is called "nocturnal bruxism" (generally the person is not aware of the problem), or it can happen when the patient is awake, known as "daytime bruxism" and this is commonly associated with periods of stress.

If you think you may be suffering from bruxism, it is essential that you consult your dentist to determine the cause and make a treatment plan, which most of the time, includes a splint.

The splint treats the symptom but not the cause of the problem; however, it is what is most frequently used. This is made of acrylic, at the beginning it can be uncomfortable for the patient, since it must be extremely rigid to produce a counterweight to excessive grinding; however, it is necessary since during the rubbing the contact force between the splint and the teeth is reduced.

When teeth are already damaged, an assessment is required to determine the type of treatment that will help improve their esthetics. The options vary between crowns, veneers or resins, depending on the case.

Call us, take the step! Don't let bruxism be the cause of not having your best smile.