Bruxism Treatments

Bruxism is a parafunctional activity where you grind, gnash or clench your teeth. If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously clench your teeth together during the day, or clench or grind them at night. Individuals who clench or grind their teeth during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and/or pauses in breathing (sleep apnea). The most common symptoms are earaches, headaches, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and chronic stress.

In some people, bruxism can be frequent and severe enough to lead to jaw disorders, headaches, damaged teeth, earaches, depression, eating disorders and perhaps even chronic stress.

Bruxism can also result in changes in the oral cavity. One of those changes can be gum recession. Research has found a relationship between bruxing and direct damage to the soft tissues. Grinding can also result in facial pain. Constant grinding can eventually shorten the teeth and result in “shorter” teeth. This loss in tooth structure can lead to muscle pain and sometimes in severe cases, headaches.

Though there is no known cure for bruxism, there are a variety of devices and services available through our office to help treat bruxism, namely nightguards. A nightguard is an acrylic device that can be designed from teeth impressions to minimize the abrasive grinding action during normal sleep. Nightguards must be worn on a long-term basis to help prevent tooth damage.

Once bruxing is under control, a variety of dental procedures can be performed to restore your smile such as crown application, gum grafts, and crown lengthening.