Teeth GrindingAn Overview
The clinical term for teeth grinding is Bruxism. While a mild case of teeth grinding may not require treatment, chronic, long term teeth grinding can lead to serious problems including tooth wear, jaw disorders, headaches and gum disease.
Preventative visits to the dentist are important to prevent damaged teeth as a result of teeth grinding. Through a simple visual exam, our dentists can identify the signs of bruxism. Depending on the extent of damage and cause of teeth grinding, we offer comprehensive treatment options to help stop teeth grinding and to repair the damage caused by grinding teeth.
Teeth Grinding Symptoms
- Worn teeth – you may notice small chips, flattened teeth or fractured teeth
- Persistent sensitive teeth
- Pain or tightness in the jaw joints or jaw muscles
- Headache, earache and/or facial pain
- Damaged tissue on the inside of your cheek
Teeth Grinding Causes
Stress and anxiety are common causes for teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is also caused by or made worse by Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD) or malocclusion, an improper alignment of the teeth. Other causes for teeth grinding may be conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease.
Friendly staff, cozy environment. Makes going to the dentist a more pleasurable experience.Danielle M.
It's great! I filled out all my new patient forms ahead of time because I was able to get them from the site.Kelly D.
You have been such a great support in the care for our mother over these years. I wanted to keep her pain free and you helped us with that. The last miraculous feat was the saving of that front tooth that broke. It made me smile because she hated that…Brenda
Teeth Grinding What to Expect
Our dentists achieve three goals with bruxism treatment: stop teeth grinding, correct occlusal instability and repair damaged teeth.
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- Teeth Grinding Mouth Guard
A teeth grinding mouth guard may be helpful for some patients to stop teeth grinding at night. A teeth grinding mouth guard is a customized, removable appliance that fits over the teeth to prevent grinding and clenching of teeth.
- Bite Correction Therapy
Your dentist may restore proper balance to the occlusion (bite) by gently reshaping the teeth, allowing them to make proper contact. This will eliminate stress on the jaw joints and relieving pain.
Reshaping the teeth may include:
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- Shortening teeth by removing tooth structure
- Lengthening teeth with dental crowns or porcelain veneers
- Orthodontic treatment
- Implant dentistry
- Restorative Dentistry
We offer a range of treatments to repair damage caused by grinding teeth. Treatment can range from a simple bonding procedure to dental crowns.
