Most people are aware that brushing and flossing daily along with regular visits to the dentist are key to good dental hygiene, but what many people don’t realize that there is something else they might be doing that affects their dental health. About one in five people who grind their teeth, or suffer from a condition known as bruxism, have no idea that they do it, since it’s usually done during sleep.
Bruxism is basically just teeth grinding or clenching, and many sufferers do one or the other in their sleep. Symptoms of bruxism are usually things like jaw pain, face pain, worn teeth, headache, indentations on the tongue, and in some cases damage to the insides of the cheeks.
Bruxism treatments are usually pretty effective and don’t necessarily involve any prescription medications. One of them is the use of mouth guards, which are basically just dental devices worn in the mouth while the user sleeps. It can be difficult for a person to keep from grinding his or her teeth during sleep, so the guards acts as a protective barrier between the teeth to prevent wear.
Another common way to deal with bruxism is to figure out what is causing it and dealing with that issue — it’s typically the result of some psychological distress. Being stressed can cause bruxism and getting treatment for or dealing with whatever is causing it can help. Other common causes of bruxism are physical, like a misalignment of the jaw, which can be corrected with the proper devices.
Good dental hygiene involves making sure the entire mouth is healthy. If a person is suffering from pain in the face or jaw, she should consider making an appointment with her dentist to see if she is suffering from bruxism. Consequences of bruxism can be as serious as cracked or broken teeth, so it’s important to deal with the problem at the first signs of it. Continue reading here.
