Tooth grinding is becoming an increasing problem, in huge part due to the increased levels of daily stress in the busy (and often hard-to-navigate!) modern world.
Tooth wear isn’t merely aesthetically problematic; it can debilitate your oral and general health, increasing your vulnerability to decay, and bringing about chronic jaw and headaches.
But enough of the negatives for a minute! – what can your dentist do to help stop your tooth grinding?
Provide a splint
Splints prevent contact between your upper and lower teeth, reducing the possibility of tooth wear (which can occur during the day or nighttime).
The type of thickness for your splint depends on the severity of your clenching and grinding. Mild cases can be prevented with a soft splint, whilst severe cases that are causing serious headaches, jaw (and even back) pain are likely to be made of a harder material.
At Meliora Dental, all our splints are made using digital scans, so there’s no need for our patients to go through the arduous and uncomfortable hassle of manual impression-taking, using gloopy and horrible putty!
Provide an Zendura retainer
Best for: mild clenching
Design: looks like an Invisalign aligner/tooth whitening tray
Provide a Michigan splint
Best for: heavy teeth grinders.
Design: thicker
Provide a Bilaminar splint
Best for: light clenching and grinding
Design: sleek, compact and tight fit
Hard exterior: durable and resistant to wear and tear
The treatment of worn-down teeth is known as prosthodontics. Generally, dentists take a holistic approach to prosthodontics, creating a treatment plan that encompasses the prevention of tooth grinding and clenching at the same time.
Some of the ways in which we can rebuild your smile after chronic or severe grinding include:
Often, tooth grinding can occur as a result of stress, and poor quality of sleep (which can be mutually exclusive and come as a pair!)
If you are experiencing high levels of stress over a short period, or you are chronically stressed, activities like yoga and meditation can be of great help.
Cutting down on drinks that are known to cause inflammation and stress within the body, and disrupt your serotonin levels (alcohol and caffeine) have also been scientifically proven to reduce stress, and as a result, grinding, in adult patients.
Sleep apnoea is a further cause of grinding, which can be caused by the mouth muscles trying to re-open the airway that has become narrowed as a result of sleep apnoea.
When you grind your teeth, you place pressure on the muscles and tissues in your jaw. This pressure reverberates into the neck and head, causing muscle aches, tension, and pulsating pressure.
One of the most common jaw-related problems of tooth grinding is conditions with your TMJ joint, which connects the chewing muscles to the lower skull. TMJ disorders are characterised by:
Something that can go overlooked is the connection between back pain and teeth grinding. When muscles in the jaw tighten and spasm, neighbouring muscles (such as those in the back) can also go into spasm.
As it’s only a very small distance between the jaw and the back of the neck, it’s common to experience upper back, and neck pain because of teeth grinding.
During your appointment with us, we can identify if teeth grinding could be the cause of other discomfort, such as jaw and back pain. Our approach is to provide lifestyle-focused dentistry, that goes beyond caring soley for your teeth and smile.
If there are wider health complications linked to dental problems, our dentists will get to the heart of how to address these, and refer you onto the relevant medical specialist, if clinically necessary.
Yes. Tooth grinding is the leading cause of tooth wear, which weakens your teeth’s protective enamel.
Once your teeth are ground down, they become more vulnerable to problems like cavities, which are holes in your teeth caused by rot.
The good news it, there are ways to build back a healthy smile, even if your teeth have undergone substantial wear as a result of grinding.
Get in touch with us if you’ve been struggling with symptoms relating to tooth grinding, including jaw ache, headaches, clicking in the jaw and upper back pain.
If your teeth appear to look shorter, this can also indicate grinding has occurred. The incremental nature of tooth wear can be a challenge to spot at home, but during your routine visits we’ll be able to spot even the very first signs of it.
You deserve to get through each day headache, backache, and jaw ache-free! Our dentists will help you on the path to reducing your pain and improving the condition of your teeth after tooth wear and damage.
Give us a call to book in to have your teeth checked for signs of wear, and to speak to a dentist about grinding-related aches and pains.
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Orthodontics : Clear Aligner
Best Young Dentist 2021 Finalist
Best Young Dentist 2020 Finalist
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Thank you for your hard work and I hope this testimonial reflects just how happy I am with my smile. The care and attention which I received during my smile makeover was far better than any I have previously experienced. Kunal and his team were amazing throughout the entire process. I had regular check-ups throughout,...
Kunal is a very approachable, informative and meticulous dentist. From the beginning of my last Invisalign journey, Kunal explained the procedure very clearly and thoroughly. He showed me a 3D image and how my teeth would change throughout the treatment, the length of the treatment and the possible cons of it, such as black triangles...
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Thank you for your hard work and I hope this testimonial reflects just how happy I am with my smile. The care and attention which I received during my smile makeover was far better than any I have previously experienced. Kunal and his team were amazing throughout the entire process. I had regular check-ups throughout, and each time Kunal would make sure I was happy, not just with the work that had already taken place, but with the direction my smile was headed. Kunal engaged in discussion with me about each aspect making sure I fully understood what would happen and giving me the chance to have my own input. This combined with his vast knowledge and incredible skill left me feeling fully relaxed and in safe hands. Each step was performed in meticulous detail,...
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