Teeth Grinding – Why It Happens And The Damage It Can Cause

Help for bruxism sufferers in Ipswich.

For some of us, the idea of teeth grinding probably makes us think of cartoons where someone ‘gnashes’ their teeth together until they break and fly out of the mouth. This is far from the reality of course, but teeth grinding, or bruxism as it is also called, can be very destructive and is also quite difficult to prevent.

In most cases, people that grind their teeth together tend to do so while they are asleep. This means that it is done subconsciously and is next to impossible to stop. Unlike many dental issues which are preventable with good oral health care, this is an exception, although there are always ways to help prevent damage which we will address a little later.

Why do people do this?

There is a general opinion that bruxism is directly related to stress and anxiety. Some people say that our dreams are like a valve on a pressure cooker that allows our stress to come out in a safe way and bruxism may be the same, albeit with worse consequences. Because of this, the only way to prevent this problem is to address the root causes of the stress. This isn’t always easy to do. Sometimes we can make changes in our life that help, but often things are largely out of our control.

What can be done to help?

There are methods that can help to reduce stress such as breathing exercises, meditation or even just a walk in nature. All of this will help but may not address the problem completely. Because bruxism can be so destructive, it may be recommended that you wear a protective mouthguard while you sleep. Our Ipswich dentists will be able to discuss this with you if we see signs that you might be grinding your teeth together.

Signs and damage caused by grinding teeth

There are a number of things that we might notice during an examination that might indicate that you are grinding your teeth, and indeed, there may be symptoms that you notice yourself, sometimes quite dramatically so. The following are some of the issues that this problem can cause.

Broken and chipped teeth

The most obvious damage to teeth that a patient will notice is if teeth break or chip significantly. This is more likely to happen to teeth that are already weakened as it would take a lot of force to break a healthy tooth. Smaller chips are more likely and can leave sharp edges that can cut lips and tongues etc. They can also compromise the tooth enamel and lead to decay or even root canal infections.

Worn tooth enamel

This is one of the most common signs that teeth grinding is happening and is one of the things that we look for during your check up. If enamel is worn down, it can shorten teeth or cause teeth to become sensitive to hot or cold. Patients may not notice this happen until pain is felt, but, as long as you keep regular check ups, we hope to spot this in its early stages.

Damage to previous dental work

Grinding teeth can cause damage to old fillings and may cause them to break and come loose and perhaps fall out altogether. Dental veneers may also be more likely to become detached.

Loose teeth

If force is significant and persistent, it could even cause damage to the bone that a tooth is secured in. This can cause the teeth to become loose and wobbly and possibly even fall out. If you have a loose tooth, don’t just accept it but contact the Foxhall Dental Practice in Ipswich for an appointment as soon as possible.

TMJ

This does not affect the teeth as such but the hinge of the jaw. It can cause headaches and discomfort of the jaw as well as facial pain in some cases. There may also be clicking or similar sensations of the jaw.

Restoring damaged teeth

In normal circumstances, there are fairly standard treatments for most of the problems mentioned above; for example, enamel erosion could be rectified by fitting teeth veneers. The problem is that if the cause of bruxism has not been recognised and resolved, the grinding will still continue and the veneers may become detached. This doesn’t mean that we can’t help and it might be a case of providing more temporary solutions, perhaps combined with a mouth guard to help you through this situation until such a time that we can look at more permanent restorations.

Once you have stopped grinding your teeth, this will be the ideal time to look at longer term solutions to restore, or replace where appropriate, your damaged or missing teeth. We have a range of treatments available to do this at our local dental practice and these include veneers, teeth coloured fillings, crowns and implants among the options.

Teeth grinding can be devastating for our teeth and you may not even be aware that you are doing it. This is yet another reason why you should maintain regular six monthly check ups with us. This will enable us to detect and offer early advice on treatment to keep your teeth as strong and healthy as possible.

To make an appointment with us, or for any other advice, you can contact the Foxhall Dental Practice by giving us a call on 01473 258396.