Harrisonburg Teeth Grinding Dentist

Stop grinding your teeth today

What is bruxism?

Bruxism is a dental condition where you clench or grind your teeth together regularly. The teeth grinding or clenching can occur during the day (awake bruxism) or at night (sleep bruxism), but when it occurs during sleep, it’s considered a sleep disorder. Those who have a habit of grinding or clenching teeth at night may not even be aware of their condition. 

Whether you grind your teeth at night or during the day, the result is often the same — jaw pain, worn enamel, and other dental problems.

Why is clenching teeth harmful?

While occasional clenching isn’t too concerning, regularly occurring teeth grinding or clenching habits can lead to oral health issues, including:

• Wearing down of tooth enamel

• Sensitivity to temperature

• Chipped or cracked teeth

• Tooth decay

• Tooth loss

• Pain and inflammation of the jaw muscles and temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Grinding your teeth at night can also make you more susceptible to other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and snoring.

Is TMJ disorder related to teeth grinding?

The TMJ is the joint on either side of your jaw that connects your skull to your jawbone. TMJ Disorder (TMD) can both cause and be caused by perpetual teeth grinding. 

Clenching or grinding can wear your teeth to the point where the jaw becomes imbalanced and TMJ pain presents. On the flip side, TMJ pain can cause you to grind more often to release the pain and pressure. 

What causes teeth grinding?

Aside from TMJ pain, teeth grinding can have a few different causes. Most commonly, clenching or grinding teeth is the result of:

• Stress

• High levels of concentration

• Use of medication

How does a dentist diagnose bruxism?

A teeth grinding dentist can diagnose teeth clenching or grinding through signs like visible wear, chips, cracks, excessive cavities, or loose teeth. However, there are other symptoms that our dentists will ask you about if grinding is suspected, including:

• Pain in the face or jaw upon waking

• Soreness in the jaw muscles

• Headaches

• Earaches

• Sensitive teeth

• Popping or clicking in the jaw

• Locking of the jaw

How to stop grinding your teeth

Is bruxism curable? While there are no specific medications that can stop you from grinding your teeth, there are some treatments that we prescribe, including a mouthguard. These guards are worn at night like a retainer and protect your jaw joints, muscles, and teeth from the force and pressure that clenching and grinding creates. 

In addition to using a mouth guard for teeth grinding, there are some additional things you can do to reduce the frequency of your clenching. You can take steps to reduce stress by exercising or meditating, You can also try to avoid teeth clenching triggers like caffeine, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and chewing gum.

What Patients Say