Compulsive,
unconscious tooth clenching or grinding can create serious problems
for your smile. This issue, known as bruxism, can wear down the
biting and chewing surfaces of your teeth, make your enamel more
sensitive, and increase your risks for tooth fractures and gum
recession.
When
your bruxism stems from a bite misalignment, you may face the double
struggle of correcting your alignment issues while also protecting
your teeth against further short-term damage. Here are some key
points to bear in mind as you seek orthodontic solutions to your
bruxism.
Bruxism
Defined
People
with bruxism clench or grind their teeth habitually or compulsively.
They may engage in this behavior solely during sleep, or they may
also clench or grind their teeth during daytime, consciously or
unconsciously.
Bruxism
can stem from a number of possible causes. For many individuals,
emotional or mental stresses can manifest themselves physically in
the form of jaw tension and grinding behaviors. Even when
unconscious, arousal spikes during the sleep-wake cycle can include
bruxism as a kind of movement disorder.
Some
individuals have elevated risk factors for bruxism. If you drink
heavily, smoke, consume caffeine, or struggle with unmanaged stress
disorders, you may find yourself prone to bruxism. Conditions such
gastroesophageal reflux disorder, epilepsy, sleep apnea, or
Parkinson's disease can also lead to bruxism.
Bruxism
and Malocclusion
Malocclusion,
or bite misalignment, represents yet another potential cause of
bruxism. If your upper and lower teeth do not mesh together easily or
perfectly, the resulting discrepancy may promote obsessive clenching
or grinding, as well as abnormal enamel wear that makes the mismatch
even worse.
While
science has yet to prove conclusively that malocclusion causes
bruxism, some research has indicated a relationship between the two
conditions. This relationship appears, not just in adults or older
children with permanent teeth, but also in small children who still
have their primary
teeth.
Bruxism
and Braces
Dentists
may recommend a variety of conservative care techniques to combat
bruxism as a starting point for treatment. You may need to learn to
manage stress, for instance, or you may need to change your
medication or dietary routine. Treatment for underlying disorders can
also reduce bruxism.
If
your bruxism seems directly related to a specific bite alignment
problem, consider orthodontic treatment. Braces can gradually shift
your upper and lower teeth into more optimal positions, permitting
them to come together more normally. This improvement can ease
chronic jaw tension and help prevent tooth damage.
If
your teeth have already become irreversibly worn or damaged due to
many years of bruxism, you may need to have the damaged teeth fitted
with permanent crowns. These restorations can offer protection of
their own while also giving you a more efficient bite.
Bruxism
and Night Guards
Dentists
often prescribe night guards for many individuals who suffer from
bruxism. A properly-made night guard conforms to your specific dental
alignment and tooth shape, absorbing the stresses that cause
bruxism-related tooth damage. They can also help prevent any jaw
slippage that might trigger sleep apnea.
The
situation gets a bit more complicated if you already have braces or
if an orthodontist recommends that you receive braces (either to
treat your bruxism or simply to improve your tooth alignment). A
night guard that doesn't accommodate your braces can cause pain while
damaging wires and brackets.
For
this reason, you shouldn't try to use a do-it-yourself night guard
while you wear braces. You can indeed wear a night guard over a set
of braces, but ask the dentist to create a custom device that
conforms to your braces perfectly.
Bruxism
and Corrective Surgery
Sometimes
the misalignment that leads to bruxism originates not in the teeth,
but in the jaws themselves. If your upper and lower jaws cannot come
together properly, you may naturally suffer from tooth misalignment,
jaw tension, and bruxism.
Even
this source of bruxism can respond to treatment. You may choose to
undergo corrective jaw surgery to overcome a severe case of bruxism.
This kind of surgery involves moving the lower jaw forward, backward,
or rotationally to allow for a symmetrical bite.
Take
action to stop that destructive, uncomfortable clenching and
grinding. Contact
us to
schedule a bruxism evaluation with Donald E. Snyder Orthodontics.
