Finding the Cause of Your Teeth-Grinding Habit
A lot of things might surprise you about teeth-grinding. For instance, for some people, it isn’t something they can always control, or that they’re even always aware of. Such constant teeth-grinding, known as bruxism, can also be the cause of one or more different underlying issues that you may or may not be aware of. The only way to be sure of anything about your teeth-grinding habit is to find out the cause of it, which requires a professional examination and diagnosis from your dentist.
Your teeth don’t line up right anymore
Constantly grinding your teeth can be a symptom of several dental health issues, and one of the most common is the misalignment of your teeth. When your teeth aren’t aligned properly, it can cause a domino effect that impacts all of your oral health. For instance, your bite may not sit comfortably anymore when it’s closed, which forces it to shift and try to get comfortable. This unconscious shifting might force your teeth against each other, and if it continues, it can lead to significant jaw joint damage that exacerbates your bruxism.
You have an underlying jaw dysfunction
Your jaw joints, or temporomandibular joints (TMJs), control your bite’s movement, and much like your teeth, they rely on alignment to function properly. Your TMJs and jaw muscles must move together, at the same time and to the same degree, every time you bite and chew. Otherwise, the pressure of your bite can damage the joints, leading to a variety of symptoms that often includes increasingly worse bruxism. Because they’re closely related, bruxism and TMJ can often be treated together with a custom-designed appliance that helps restore your jaw’s alignment and comfortable function.
It’s a product of several different factors
For many people, bruxism isn’t a symptom of just one condition, but the product of several different factors creating the perfect storm. This may include the misalignment of your teeth and/or jaw joints, as well as bite imbalances caused by tooth loss, worn down or damaged teeth, a damaged or failed tooth restoration, and more. To ensure the optimal results of your treatment, we’ll perform a thorough examination to determine the specific cause or causes of your bruxism, and what needs to be addressed in order to help you stop grinding your teeth.
Learn how to treat your teeth-grinding habit
Find out what’s causing your bruxism habit, and how we can help you stop chronically grinding your teeth. To learn more, call our Cleveland Family Dentistry office in Cleveland, TX, today at (281) 592-1234. We also serve the residents of Kingwood, Conroe, Livingston, and all surrounding communities.