You have probably heard of people grinding their teeth at night, but you may not have heard of the medical name for it, bruxism. Bruxism is often caused by stress and anxiety, but it can also be the result of sleep disorders or misaligned teeth.
Symptoms and Dangers
Grinding your teeth can result in a number of problems. It can wear down your teeth and cause you to have headaches during the day. It can also lead to disorders such as TMJ and damage dental work such as crowns.
If you are waking up with a sore face or jaw, your teeth feel particularly sensitive or someone has told you that you grind your teeth at night, you may want to visit your dentist to see if a night guard can help.
Night Guards
A night guard is a device that you place in your mouth at night to stop you from grinding your teeth. A dentist takes an impression of your teeth in order to make a night guard that fits your mouth. While inexpensive mouth guards are available without a visit to a dentist, they tend to be uncomfortable and interfere with sleep. Another option is something called a bite splint or bite plate, both of which are similar to night guards.
It can sometimes take a few weeks to get accustomed to a night guard, but they can be adjusted if they continue to cause discomfort.
Dr. Bill Thompson, DDS and his staff offer general, family, and cosmetic dentistry including teeth whitening, laser dentistry, cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns/bridges, root canals, veneers, orthodontics, Invisalign, Lumineers, dental implants, and more.
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