migraines | Cosmetic dentistry Leeds Blog

Grinding And Gnashing Can Cause Dental Damage While You Sleep

Wednesday, June 11th, 2014

Many people grind their teeth during the night without even knowing that they are doing it, but if you have a partner who grinds their teeth, you’re probably longing for a peaceful and undisturbed night’s sleep. Teeth grinding, also know as bruxism, is a subconscious action, which can cause damage to the teeth. If you grind your teeth, we can provide treatment to protect your teeth and help you and your partner to enjoy a restful night.

Why do I grind my teeth and what are the implications?

There are different reasons why people grind their teeth, but most commonly, bruxism is linked to stress and anxiety. Other possible causes include orthodontic issues, which mean that the teeth are not aligned properly.

If you grind your teeth, you may damage the enamel and increase the risk of chips. Grinding the teeth can also increase the risk of headaches and migraines, which may be associated with temporomandibular joint disorder. TMJ disorder is a term used to describe pain and other symptoms, which affect the TM joint, the joint, which connects the lower jaw to the skull.

What can be done?

If you grind your teeth and it is affecting your oral health or causing your aches and pains, we may recommend wearing a bite guard. This is an appliance, which is similar to a mouth guard used for sport, which helps to prevent the teeth from clashing and clenching together. The bite guard is custom-made to ensure a comfortable fit. If you think that stress may be causing you to clench your teeth, we can also recommend stress management techniques.

Tags: bruxism, enamel, migraines, TMJ disorder
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Your Migraines May Be Caused By Dental Problems, Says City Of Leeds Dentist

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Have you been troubled by migraines for long? These headaches are indeed very debilitating and people who suffer from them are always on the lookout for a cure. There gets to be a point where the usual medications don’t work, at which time they start looking around for various other methods of getting rid of these headaches. Unfortunately, a good number of people do not get the right treatment for this condition because they are just not aware about any other reasons that might be causing it.
If you suffer from regular migraines, sometimes accompanied by a pain in your neck or shoulders, have you considered seeing a dentist? A City of Leeds dentist certainly thinks you should. There are certain dental conditions related to problems of the jaw that can cause pain not just in the jaw but in the surrounding areas. If your symptoms are accompanied by a clicking or popping sound in your jaw, then you can be certain that there is a connection between them.
There is an entire branch of dentistry devoted to this subject and it is called Neuromuscular Dentistry. Make sure that the dental practice you visit has a dentist who has specialized in this. You have to be very forthright in describing your symptoms and should not hold back anything because you think that it might not have any relevance to your case. With any luck, you should get a cure for your migraines as well as for any dental problems that usually accompany them.