Bruxism – Teeth Grinding Treatments
Bruxism is the involuntary habit of jaw clenching or teeth grinding without functional purposes. It affects between 10% and 20% of the population and can lead to headaches and pain in the jaw, neck and ear muscles. One of the most obvious dangers of teeth grinding is dental wear, which results in a loss of the oral height, with an accumulation of saliva in the corners of the mouth and inversion of the curve of the smile.
If you are suffering from teeth grinding pay more attention to regular dental check-ups so that any problems caused by bruxism are treated as soon as possible to prevent further tooth damage. However, tooth damage usually only happens in severe cases it may need treatment to avoid developing further problems.
Teeth Grinding Treatments
Prevention – In case of no dental damage
To avoid establishing a long term pattern, when the damage is not severe the treatment may require the wearing of teeth grinding guards (Occlusal splints) during sleep. Its function is to avoid abrupt contact between dental structures, deprogram the temporomandibular joint for the occlusion, and reduce the tension of the masticatory muscles and the neck muscles.
Solution – For bruxism related tooth wear
Dental crowns and veneers can be used to repair teeth grinding related tooth wear. In these cases it is important to restore the height of the lost mouth. This is done in phases, first recovering the height at the level of the molars, and then with veneers or crowns at the previous level. We will always try to be as conservative as possible, for that we will use veneers, however, if the destruction of the tooth is too large, we will have to make crowns of total coating. And of course, in the end, a splint should be placed so that the new crowns do not wear out or fracture.
Unless the grinding habit can be controlled and damages prevented, dental crowns offer the only hope for a lasting outcome.
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