Here's What You Could Face After Years Of Teeth Grinding

Dentist Blog

Everyone knows that teeth grinding can be unpleasant. You don't mean to do it—and in some cases, you're not even conscious when it happens. But worrying about it won't change anything. If you're concerned about your teeth grinding habit and you've been doing it for a long time, here are the consequences your teeth could face if you don't get help.

Wear and Tear

Wear and tear is the leading problem with teeth grinding. With enough grinding, you can literally grind down your teeth to little more than nubs if you're not careful. This is because the teeth constantly rubbing against each other gradually creates wear on the surface of the teeth. This problem often also accelerates the breakdown of tooth enamel, which makes matters worse, as tooth enamel is the only thing protecting your tooth from even more damage.

Cracking

Another common problem that people can face with this condition is their teeth cracking. Teeth can put up with a lot of pressure in daily use, but the constant stress of grinding and two teeth being forced up against each other can sometimes result in one or both of them cracking.

This is a very unpleasant condition for most people, as it's painful. To make matters worse, sometimes the tooth will crack underneath the surface of the gums, which makes it difficult for the source of the pain to be discovered.

How to Get Help

If you grind your teeth, you should do two things, and they're both possible at your dentist's office.

The first thing you should do is to have your teeth examined for damage. Small cracks can often be fixed with fillings, and so can wear and tear. However, if your teeth are severely damaged, dental crowns may become a necessity. These will fit over your teeth and encase them, protecting them from further damage and taking the stress off of them if you continue to grind your teeth.

That being said, you ideally don't want to keep grinding your teeth. So, ask your dentist about having a grinding guard made. This is a high-quality version of the grinding guards you'll find at stores. It will be custom fit to your teeth, ensuring that it's comfortable and won't slip or move while you're trying to sleep or talk.

Tooth grinding can lead to serious conditions if you don't take it seriously. Reach out to a family dentistry service, get your problem under control, and get the help that you need to prevent further damage to your teeth.

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10 October 2019

Mouth Rinses Are Not Just for Bad Breath

I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.