Symptoms of teeth grinding
It is important to not overlook any of the signs of bruxism in order to avoid the long-term negative impacts. Teeth grinding can seriously impact the appearance and function of your teeth.
If you’re wondering how to tell if you’ve been grinding your teeth, some common symptoms include:
- Worn teeth
- Thinning enamel
- Chips or cracks in teeth
- Sensitive teeth
- Facial and jaw pain or headaches
- Sores or marks on your tongue or the inside of your cheeks
- Loose teeth
- Sleep disruption
- Tired or tight muscles of the jaw joint
- The sound of teeth grinding heard by a loved one while you’re asleep
What causes teeth grinding?
Teeth grinding may be caused by a combination of physical, psychological and genetic factors. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, consider visiting a dentist or doctor to confirm the underlying cause and discuss how to stop grinding teeth in sleep or during the day.
Common causes are thought to be:
- High levels of stress – Clenching your teeth is a common response to stressful situations, which can even carry over to episodes of sleep bruxism. Feelings of stress, anxiety, frustration or anger can cause muscle tension and teeth grinding.
- Genetics – Researchers believe bruxism has a genetic component that can run in families.
- Irregular sleep patterns – Episodes of sleep bruxism may be connected to changes in sleep patterns or microarousals from sleep. This may explain the association between teeth grinding and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea.
- Lifestyle – Factors including cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake and snoring may have a direct connection to teeth grinding
How to avoid teeth grinding
If you’re unsure how to stop grinding teeth in sleep or during the day, it is best to first understand what is causing your bruxism. Once this has been established, there are plenty of ways to try to reduce your grinding or clenching behaviour, for example:
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- Try to reduce stress – listening to music, taking a warm bath or shower and exercising can help you to relax
- Avoid stimulating substances before bed
- Practice good sleep habits
- Massage your sore jaw muscles and become aware of any jaw clenching during the day
- Avoid chewing anything that isn’t food throughout the day – including gum, ice or pen caps
- Schedule regular dental exams
How can you fix the damage?
At Advanced Dental Artistry, our full mouth reconstruction or porcelain veneer treatments will craft you a smile designed precisely for you. If you have cracked, worn or missing teeth due to teeth grinding, our treatments can help to restore your teeth to good health and give you back your smile.
Each cosmetic dentistry procedure at our clinic is completely tailored to you depending on the level of damage caused by grinding, but here’s an idea of what yours may include:
Full mouth reconstruction
This treatment involves restoring existing teeth, while seamlessly replacing any terminal or missing ones with our high-tech dental implants for a flawless set of teeth. Our innovative and highly customised approach means we use the latest innovations to deliver incredible results for every one of our patients.
- Non-invasive comprehensive cleaning
- Bite analysis
- Digital smile design
- Porcelain veneers
- Fillings and fissure sealants
- Tooth extraction
- Bone grafting
- Dental implants
- Periodontics (gum disease)
- Dental prosthodontics
Full mouth reconstruction treats a broad range of dental conditions and is carried out in order to restore function, regain oral health and enhance the look and feel of your smile.
Porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers can be a suitable treatment option for individuals with dental imperfections such as gaps, crooked teeth, small teeth, or discoloured, broken or worn-down teeth, who want to improve the appearance of their teeth. However, it is important to note that porcelain veneers rely on the existing structure of your teeth and may not be suitable for those with missing or severely damaged teeth.
Porcelain veneers can improve the appearance of teeth that have been worn down or damaged due to teeth grinding, but they do not treat the underlying cause of teeth grinding itself. Porcelain veneers can help to restore the size, shape, and colour of teeth, and protect them from further damage, but they do not address the root cause of the problem, which may be stress or a misaligned bite, for example. Veneers might be a viable option if your level of grinding hasn’t caused severe structural damage to your teeth.
Ready to restore your smile?
At Advanced Dental Artistry, our skilled and highly experienced team are dedicated to your dental goals. We only use utilise advanced materials and technology to craft you a restored smile that meets your aesthetic and functional expectations.
Whether you want to find out more about how to tell if you’ve been grinding your teeth or if you are concerned about serious damage caused by teeth grinding, reach out to Advanced Dental Artistry today to book a consultation with one of our experienced dentists.