Prevent teeth grinding during sleep at City of London dentist
Do your jaw muscles ache in the morning? Do your teeth show signs of premature wear or hurt when you eat first thing? If so, then you may be one of the one in ten people who suffer from teeth grinding during sleep. This condition is known as bruxism and can be responsible for a number of wider health complaints such as facial pain and TMJ.
For many years bruxism was thought to be caused by stress experienced during waking hours. This may be the case in some instances but many dentists have found that bruxism is often caused by a misalignment of the jaw. This causes the top and bottom teeth to sit awkwardly which can cause some irritation. This in turn causes muscles spasms to occur making the teeth grind together.
Not only will this cause erosion of the tooth enamel, which may lead to further dental complications such as decay and infection, but may result in sever muscular pain. This can be very uncomfortable and affect patients all through their waking hours. This can be even more frustrating when the cause of the problem is unknown, as it often is with bruxism.
Although there is no real cure for bruxism itself, it is possible for a City of London dentist to offer some form of relief. This may take the form of a mouth guard or dental appliance that can be worn when sleeping. This can alleviate the muscular pain and prevent further damage to the tooth enamel. In some cases it may be possible to realign the teeth through orthodontic treatment but this very much depends on the individual patient and the structure of their teeth and jaw.
