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Are You Harming Your Teeth in Your Sleep?

4443553_blogSleep should give your body chance to recover and regenerate. Unfortunately, sometimes we do things during our sleep that can be harmful. This includes grinding our teeth.

What causes tooth grinding and what are the effects?

Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, can occur as a result of lots of different triggers, from dental problems to anxiety and stress. The majority of cases are linked to heightened stress and many people find that they grind their teeth when they are under pressure at work or coping with difficulties in their personal life.

In the short-term, tooth grinding isn’t likely to do serious damage, prolonged periods of bruxism can take their toll on your teeth and the muscles in and around the jaw. Grinding the teeth can cause chips and wear and tear. It can also place strain on the facial muscles and connective tissue around the jaw joint. This might result in headaches, jaw pain, stiffness, tension in the jaw and neck or shoulder pain.

How is tooth grinding treated?

In some cases where tooth grinding is linked to anxiety or stress, dealing with these issues using techniques such as breathing exercises, massage, talking therapies and taking time out can help to stop bruxism. Often, with periods of stress linked to work deadlines, for example, symptoms will come and go and treatment won’t be required.

If dental issues such as a misaligned bite or loose fillings or crowns are to blame, we can provide a solution. These may include replacing or repairing loose restorations or fitting braces.

We can also provide patients with a custom-made bite guard. This is a device designed to prevent contact between the upper and lower arches of teeth during sleep. It looks like a mouth guard and can help to prevent damage to the teeth, reduce muscular aches and pains and improve sleep quality.

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