| Home | | | | | | | | | | | Smile Gallery | | | Reviews | | | Contact |
|
Posted on 4/10/2019 by Neil Starr DDS PC |
 Clenching teeth is commonly referred to as bruxism. This can also include grinding your teeth too. Regardless of whether you're clenching or grinding, this is both unnatural and troublesome for many reasons.What Causes BruxismTypically, bruxism is caused by stress – whether you know you're under a lot of it or not. While you're asleep at night your body tries to work this stress out. One of its ways of doing this is through bruxism.Why Bruxism is bad for Your TeethThere are several reasons why this is a bad habit and one that you should seriously attempt to break as soon as possible. One of the main reasons is that it can lead to fractured teeth. This is essentially when you grind your teeth so much that you cause them to become cracked or chipped. Even if your teeth don't break, they will become loose if you let this habit go unchecked for too long. When this happens, you'll need to have these teeth replaced with crowns, implants, or dentures.Unfortunately, fracturing your teeth isn't the only thing you must worry about here. Bruxism can also cause jaw pain and headaches. Of course, you can also cause a whole host of other problems for your teeth as well. Some examples of this include receding gumlines, having your teeth become shorter, causing your teeth to become sensitive, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome). Stopping BruxismLearning to relax through meditation, prayer, exercise, or simply taking a warm bath before bed will truly help you break this habit. However, this won't work for everyone so one of the best ways to stop bruxism is simply by wearing a mouthguard while you're sleeping at night. This is something that we can help you with. If you clench your teeth, contact us before you fracture them so we can help you break this bad habit. |
       Neil L. Starr, DDS, PC
Washington Office
1234 19th St NW #306 Washington, DC 20036 |