What is grinding?
Some people habitually grind their teeth - often as a way of releasing stress. Both children and adults can do this, almost always at night. The dental term for this is bruxism. Bruxism can deform the natural shape of teeth, but there are several things that can be done to restore the damage.
The consequences of tooth grinding
Destruction of tooth ename l- The enamel on your teeth is hard, but will become worn down when the teeth rub against each other during grinding. Your teeth are naturally different in length but tooth grinding wears them down so they become similar in length.
Loss of protection - The pointy 'canine' teeth protect your other teeth. When you move your teeth sideways across each other (as in a grinding motion), the lower canines ride up onto the tips of the upper canines and create distance for other teeth. Canine teeth that are the same length as all others cannot prevent tooth friction and wear.
A prematurely aged look - Unusually even and flat teeth make the smile look much older than it should.
What signs suggest that you are a 'grinder'?
Your teeth look worn down - Look at the biting surfaces of your teeth, particularly the upper and lower front teeth. Have they become short, 'stubby' and flat? Do the front teeth look the same length? If so, they are wearing down prematurely.
Your jaw muscles are sore - If you sometimes wake up with painful or sore jaw muscles, you may be grinding your teeth at night. If you are a habitual and continuous grinder, your jaw chewing muscles will become unduly prominent.
Your teeth are unusually sensitive - In some cases your teeth will be sore and oversensitive to hot or cold temperatures. The pressure on the roots has sensitised them.
Grinding noises disturb your sleeping partner - The sound of grinding teeth during the night can be very off putting to your sleeping partner and prevent him or her from getting proper rest. This can be one of your first indications that something is wrong.
What can be done?
As part of a routine dental examination, our dentists are experienced in recognising the signs of grinding and will check the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and jaw muscles for these signs.
A customised bite guard can be made for you, to be worn at night or in stressed situations like intense sports or at work. This can instantly ease the damage caused by grinding.
If you think that you grind your teeth you could think about talking to a stress management counsellor to deal with the causes of your stress. |
