Glendale Dentist Responds To Common Questions About Chronic Bruxism

Written by Dr. McKay on Mar 1, 2016

Our Glendale dentists provide comprehensive dental care that patients need in order to maintain healthy mouths. We know that there are many more threats to you smile than just oral bacteria. One chronic problem that many adult patients deal with, for example, is called bruxism.

In today’s short article our dental team is going to be answering your questions about what bruxism is, how it can damage your smile, and what you can do about it.

Just to quickly review: bruxism is used to describe a condition in which the patient habitually grinds and/or clenches his or her teeth.

Q: How do I know if I am dealing with bruxism?

A: It can be really tough for patients to recognize bruxism in their own lives. If you are grinding your teeth during the day, then you should make note of this and let your dental team know. Many people, however, actually exhibit the signs of bruxism when they are asleep. If this is the case with you, you might notice that your jaw and/or teeth feel sore when you wake up. People around you when you are sleeping may also report that they can actually hear your teeth grinding together.

Q: Does bruxism go away?

A: For some people it does—some people really only exhibit the signs of bruxism when they are feeling stressed or frustrated. Many patients, however, deal with bruxism because they have underlying bite-surface misalignments that prevent their smiles from closing naturally.

Q: What should I do about bruxism?

A: The first thing to do is to reach out to your dental team for support. You may need to adopt some stress-reduction measures in order to minimize your risk of grinding your teeth. Our dental team may recommend that you perfect your bite surfaces so that your jaw closes correctly. And, many people benefit from wearing protective oral appliances at night—these appliances ease the bottom jaw into better position, and protect enamel surfaces.

Don’t let bruxism go untreated—this problem can intensify and become more problematic over time. Our Glendale dental team can answer you questions and help you schedule a consultation—just give us a call to get started!