How Harmful Can Bruxism Really Be?

The tendency to grind your teeth while you sleep can make your average morning less pleasant. After all, you would have a hard time finding someone who enjoyed waking up with a sore jaw and sensitive or aching teeth—a concern for those who are affected by bruxism. Unfortunately, the longer it takes you to do something about this issue, the more likely it is to do permanent harm to your smile and oral health! Our Northwest IN dentist’s office is ready to help you take on problems with bruxism. In addition to protecting your teeth so that further issues with wear and tear do not affect you, we can recommend services to take on problems with enamel damage that can affect your smile and quality of life!

There Are Significant Problems That Bruxism Can Cause When It Is Not Addressed

You can exert significant force whenever you bite down. Unfortunately, that means a problem with nightly teeth grinding can take a surprisingly tough toll on your enamel. Friction from this activity can gradually wear away this protective outer layer of your tooth structure. Over time, this can result in changes to the shapes and sizes of teeth, and eventually it can cause more serious chips and cracks to develop! The longer it takes you to do something about this issue, the more likely you are to have problems that are serious enough to require restorative dental work.

Using A Custom Appliance To Keep Your Teeth Safe While You Sleep

When you start wearing a custom oral appliance while you sleep, you can stop bruxism from doing any further harm to your tooth structure. The guard that we provide is custom-made to make sure that it stays in place and fits properly. You can wear it throughout each night to both stop the friction from your teeth grinding and protect your jaw from excess pressure.

What Can I Do About Dental Damage That Already Affects Me?

For patients who are already affected by dental damage, we can offer services that take care of teeth and restore appearances. If the damages are not too severe, we can use cosmetic dental work to discreetly fix problems with how you look. However, when there are concerns about your bite function or your ability to maintain your oral health, we may need to cap teeth with dental crowns.

Talk To Your Northwest IN Dentist About Treating Problems With Bruxism!

Until you do something about the problem, bruxism can cause problems with your smile and quality of life to continue. Fortunately, our practice can offer more than just protection against further wear and tear, as we can recommend services that address active dental damage. If you would like to find out more, please contact Healthy Smiles in Northwest IN by calling 219-938-2637!