How We Treat Your Bruxism

When people grind and clench their teeth on a nightly basis, this chronic disorder is known as bruxism. Without treatment to stop it, teeth grinding could wear down and even crack or chip your teeth! But your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist can help bring relief for your chronic teeth grinding with a custom oral appliance. You can smile with comfort and confidence again, with a noninvasive and comfortable device that is easy to use and maintain!

The Facts Behind Teeth Grinding

What causes chronic teeth grinding? People could develop bruxism due to changes to their bite balance, which could strain the jaw joints. Factors like missing teeth, dental misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, or issues with the eruption of your teeth or growth of the jaw could be responsible. Untreated TMJ disorder could be a factor, as could high levels of stress in your daily life. Treatment is crucial because over time, the pressure could wear down teeth and even crack or chip them. This could alter the appearance of your smile and increase the risk of complications like tooth decay and dental infection. But how do you know if you grind your teeth?

Recognizing Your Symptoms

For some, their significant other could let them know that they grind their teeth at night. But there are also symptoms that occur during the waking hours. For example, you could experience pain in the face or jaw, toothaches or tooth sensitivity, or aches in the neck and shoulders. Headaches and migraines could be possible symptoms. When you experience one or more of these potential symptoms, please reach out to our team right away. Our team can conduct a diagnosis to assess the wear and friction on your teeth, so we can choose the most appropriate treatment option.

Treatment with an Oral Appliance

Our team could correct misalignment with clear aligners, improve bite balance with crowns, or even address missing teeth with prosthetics like bridges or dental implants. But for many, we can offer relief from teeth grinding with an oral appliance. The device will be custom-fitted for your bite based on detailed digital images and impressions we take of your bite. When worn during sleep, this will fit comfortably, like a mouthguard.

The device then repositions the jaw to ease pressure on your bite and improve balance. The same device also puts a soft barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage. If damage occurs, we can offer improvement with a custom crown or possibly same-day dental bonding treatment. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat bruxism, or if you have damaged or worn-down teeth due to bruxism, we can offer repair so you can smile with confidence.

Learn More About Treating Chronic Teeth Grinding

You don’t have to live with discomfort and damage to your teeth, we can help! When you are ready to schedule your appointment with our office, contact Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX at 972-262-5111.