Bruxism
Asheboro, NC
 What is bruxism, and how does it affect many people all around the world? Simply put, bruxism is the grinding of the teeth, especially when you are asleep at night. Bruxism can lead to some serious dental complications that require intervention. However, if diagnosed early, it can be treated. Our professional team at Randolph Center for Dental Excellence is trained in bruxism treatment and care.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is a condition wherein a person grinds their teeth when asleep. As the person is unconscious, the jaw muscles can grind the teeth too hard and can cause damage, such as chipping and fracturing. This will require surgery to fix or even replace any teeth which may be beyond saving.
There is no one cause of bruxism, but there are a variety of reasons why a person might get it. Stress is a commonly-cited reason, and some report that psychological, hereditary, or even other reasons are the cause of bruxism in some people. It can happen within a family, as well, as some researchers have observed this. Other disorders and diseases can also bring about teeth grinding.
Among the most common symptoms are sore jaws. This is because the jaw muscles have been furiously clenched at night and are fatigued. You might not feel them when you fall asleep, but they might be the first thing you notice when you wake up. Other symptoms and signs are fatigue, headache, damage to the teeth, sensitive teeth, a pain similar to an earache, or the side of your cheek might be cut up by the chewing motions.
TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, has been linked to teeth grinding. TMJ causes a pain to the jaw’s joint, and that can overstimulate the muscles. While you might not notice it during the daytime, the muscles in your jaw can start to move on their own because of the pain from TMJ. One can even lead to the other.
Bruxism Treatment
Some children experience bruxism, and adults can also develop it due to stress. In normal cases, there should be no need for surgery or invasive treatment. Children are mostly known to outgrow bruxism. Adults can try to destress or take up healthier habits in life to reduce the frequency of teeth grinding and reduce stress.
When it gets serious, you should come see us and undergo a dental exam. In the dental exam, we will check your jaw muscles and the condition of your teeth. Bruxism is relatively easy to detect and thus timely intervention can prevent further damage.
Night guards are a common method to combat bruxism. They prevent further damage to the teeth, if there is any, by preventing the jaw from moving too much. We will prescribe the right type of night guard according to how severe a case of bruxism is.
Should I see a Dentist?
If you suffer from bruxism, you should see us promptly. The earlier bruxism is treated, the likelihood of escaping without dental damage is increased. This also eliminates the possibility of invasive surgeries that can take a long time to heal. At Randolph Center for Dental Excellence, we are trained to detect and treat teeth grinding. Please call us at (336) 444-2772 to learn more or schedule an appointment.
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