If you experience consistent tenderness or pain in your jaw, ears, or have frequent headaches, you may be grinding your teeth. Frequent teeth grinding or jaw clenching can cause damage to your smile, and is a leading cause of temporomandibular joint disorders. Birmingham, AL dentist Dr. Bruce Spink is trained in the diagnosis, and treatment of TMD.
Stress is a common cause for bruxism, or teeth grinding. Bruxism often occurs while sleeping but may also occur during high stress situations. Some patients are not even aware that they have bruxism. If you often have headaches or soreness in the jaw or ears when you wake up in the morning, this may be an indication that you are grinding your teeth in your sleep.
Stress takes a negative toll on your oral and physical health. Reducing stress can help reduce bruxism, and can improve your overall quality of life. Untreated, continued bruxism can begin to cause damage to your oral health.
Teeth grinding can cause:
- Broken Teeth
- Worn Down Teeth
- Cracked Teeth
- Jaw Pain
- Abraded tooth enamel
- Cuts and sores on soft tissues
If you believe you are prone to grinding or clenching your teeth, be sure to let Dr. Spink know at your next routine visit. Early diagnosis can help prevent the development of related oral health concerns. The longer you wait to get treated for bruxism, the more advanced dental treatments you may need to repair associated damage.
Dr. Spink offers treatments for teeth grinding. Bite guards, bite alignment therapy, and cosmetic dentistry are all possible treatments for bruxism. Depending on your individual oral health needs, a combination of treatments may be needed to solve to root problem causing your teeth grinding and to repair any damage to you to your teeth.
Schedule A Consultation
If you or a loved one grinds their teeth contact our Birmingham dentist office. You do not have to suffer with frequent headaches and jaw and facial pain. Dr. Spink can help find the cause of your bruxism and help treat associated symptoms.