Teeth Grinding

Many people grind or clench their teeth from time to time without causing any permanent damage, however, grinding on a regular basis has severe consequences. Factors leading to teeth grinding include the following: stress, anxiety, abnormal bite, missing or crooked teeth, as well as sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Signs of bruxism are excessive wear on the teeth and jaw tenderness. the majority of people do not even know they grind their teeth until a significant other informs them or their dentist sees signs of bruxing during an examination. Teeth grinding is a major concern because it can lead to fractures, loose teeth, and ultimately tooth loss.
 
So what can be done to prevent a person from grinding while they are asleep or during heavy traffic when they are tense? Your dentist will take a simple upper and lower impression of your teeth and have the dental lab fabricate a night guard which fits comfortably over either your upper or lower teeth. this way, the appliance takes the damage instead of your natural teeth. Although it is called a night guard, as I mentioned I have patients who pop it in during stressful daily drives during the day.