Do you wake up morning after morning with a sore jaw? Do you find it increasingly difficult to eat many of your favorite foods? If the answer is yes, you might have a condition known as bruxism. Not only does bruxism cause pain, but it can also interfere with your quality of life. The Dentists at North Cypress can help with a mouth guard.
Bruxism is a term that refers to the grinding and clenching of your teeth. When you grind and clench, there is excessive pressure placed on not just your teeth, but your jawbone, your jaw muscles, and your temporomandibular joints. This excessive pressure, over time, can lead to serious issues, including excess tooth wear, tooth damage, and significant pain. These issues can impact the functions of your mouth and your quality of life.
While bruxism can occur at any time of the day, it is most common at night. When you are awake, you are aware of when you are grinding and clenching and can take action to stop it. As you are sleeping, however, you are completely unaware of what is happening. Grinding and clenching continue uninterrupted.
Bruxism can be caused by many different issues. One of the leading causes is stress. When you are under stress, all of the muscles in your body become tense. This includes the muscles in your face. The tension in your jaw muscles forces your teeth to clench together. Other common causes of bruxism include:
• Crooked teeth or poor jaw alignment.
• Caffeine.
• Certain types of drugs.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
There are various symptoms associated with bruxism. Symptoms often start very mildly at first. As bruxism continues without treatment, however, the symptoms become worse. Eventually, they can interfere with the normal functions of your mouth and your quality of life. Symptoms of bruxism include:
• Pain. This pain can be located in your jaw, your temporomandibular joints, and your face.
• Tired jaw and facial muscles.
• Trouble to eat and to speak.
• Excessive wear on your teeth. This wear can cause your teeth to become shorter and increase their risk for cavities and physical damage.
• Gum recession.
• Loose teeth.
When you have bruxism, you may also develop chronic headaches and earaches. While these issues might not seem related to your jaw, they can occur due to the radiation of pain to nearby structures.
There are several treatments for bruxism. One way that we can help to provide you with relief is with a mouth guard. Also called a night guard, a mouth guard is an oral appliance that is worn in your mouth while you sleep. Similar in design to a sports guard, a mouth guard fits over your teeth and works to absorb the forces exerted on your teeth and your jaw. By absorbing the impact, the pressure is relieved from these structures, helping to alleviate your pain. We can custom create a mouth guard just for you. Using the highest quality materials, your mouth guard is created from an impression of your mouth. This ensures a proper fit for the best results and optimal relief.
A custom mouth guard can help to alleviate the symptoms of bruxism, which can greatly improve your quality of life. For more information about mouth guards for bruxism, and to find out if a night guard is right for you, call The Dentists at North Cypress today at (281) 664-8100.