The fact that you grind your teeth isn’t always something that you need to bring to your dentist’s attention. However, for people who experience bruxism, it can become so problematic that your dentist may notice it during your routine examination whether you say something about it or not. Bruxism is a condition that involves constantly grinding your teeth together, and it can be the result of one or more different underlying oral health conditions. When left untreated, bruxism can also have several significant consequences for your oral health, and addressing it as soon as possible could be essential to protecting your smile.
Is your teeth-grinding a bruxism problem?
One of bigger challenges with addressing bruxism is determining if your teeth-grinding habit qualifies as the condition. The distinction is that bruxism is more than just an occasional habit, it’s a condition with a specific cause behind it. It’s also a problem that continues to grow worse over time, causing you to grind your teeth together more often and more forcefully. The damage this can lead to can also lead to extensive concerns with your oral health, bite function, and more. In some cases, the early signs of this damage may be the first telling hint that you have a bruxism problem that needs to be addressed.
What the condition could lead to if untreated
When you don’t know that you have bruxism, the problems that it could lead to have a greater chance of developing and getting worse until you address it. Most notably, the continuous force and pressure against your tooth structure can lead to your teeth wearing down significantly, becoming weaker and more susceptible to structural damage, decay, and more. For example, one or more teeth may become weak enough to fracture or break under your bite’s pressure, or become so worn down as to change the way your bite functions when you open and close it.
Solutions to save your smile from bruxism
The best way to avoid the potential consequences of bruxism is to diagnose and treat it before it leads to significant problems. This can often be accomplished with the help of a custom-designed oral appliance that helps protect your teeth from grinding against each other when you sleep at night. If your teeth have already sustained damage from the consistent grinding, then treating your bruxism may also require restoring this damage with the right restoration, such as a custom-made dental crown.
Deal with bruxism comfortably and effectively
If you have bruxism, then treating it as soon as possible could help you avoid several long-term problems with your teeth and oral health. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI, today at 248-693-6213.
