“That Really Grinds My Teeth!”

Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, affects around 30 million children and adults. And most of the time, those individuals don’t even realize that they’re doing it! Sometimes it happens only at night. Other times, subconsciously throughout the day. While grinding or clenching your teeth may not seem like a big problem, it can actually cause damage to your smile and makes visiting our dental offices in Chicago Heights and Highland Park even more important.

While bruxism is often viewed as a habit, or a result of stress, it can be caused by other things as well. For example, your teeth grinding can be a result of having a bad bite, or when your teeth do not line up or come together properly. Bruxism can also break restorations, cause damage to teeth, and wear away enamel. That’s why if you’re a grinder, it’s important to see your dentist in Chicago Heights or Highland Park.

Chronic teeth grinding or clenching can not only cause damage to teeth and lead to tooth sensitivity, it can also be the reason for jaw pain, TMD (temporomandibular disorder), headaches, and facial pain. But if a lot of people who are chronic clenchers or grinders don’t realize they are doing it, how can they tell if some of their pain is a result of bruxism?

You may be suffering from bruxism if you experience any of the following:

• Unexplained contractions of the jaw muscles
• A grinding noise at night as described by someone you share a bedroom with
• Morning headaches
• Tight or painful jaw muscles
• Pain in the face
• Damaged teeth or injured gums

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule a visit to our Chicago Heights or Highland Park dental office as soon as you can. We will examine your mouth and check your bite. We may also take x-rays of your jaw and mouth to determine what the cause of your bruxism is. We will then make the best recommendation to fix the problem. Several treatment options are available and can include using onlays or crowns to reshape the bite surfaces of your teeth, and making a mouth guard that fits over your smile and prevents further damage.

Don’t live with the pain of being a tooth grinder. Our dental offices in Chicago Heights and Highland Parkcan help protect your smile and ease your pain. Give us a call today!