Do you know what this condition is? Bruxism is also known as tooth grinding. More Americans are grinding their teeth at night, and it’s giving them certain kinds of dental and health problems over time.
So how do you know if this diagnosis represents you or someone in your family or household? Look for these troubling signs of bruxism to nip this problem in the bud.
Abraded Teeth
One thing you can notice with bruxism, (apart from the noise, which someone else may notice) is teeth that seem unusually worn down. If you’re grinding them at night, you’ll see certain types of results in the surfaces of your teeth. For example, look if you have an overbite to see whether the corresponding underside ridges of teeth are being ground away over time.
Chipped and Cracked Teeth
If you have chips or cracks in your teeth, and you haven’t been involved in a bar fight, you may just be grinding your teeth at night. Take a look regularly, and you may spot those damage signs that mean it’s time to tackle bruxism head-on.
Facial Pain
The tension of bruxism affects the facial muscles and tissues. You may notice certain types of jaw pain, or more broad facial pain because of tensing muscles in the jaw and around the jaw at night.
Headaches
Yes, you can get headaches from bruxism. In fact, it’s not uncommon. The jaw area does relate to the upper head area in the sense that bruxism and other problems can add to tension and impact that will manifest in the forms of headaches or even contribute to more severe migraines.
Sensitive Teeth
If your teeth are more sensitive than they used to be, that’s another warning sign.
If you’re getting more sensitivity to hot and cold, that’s another sign to look out for in terms of tooth grinding, especially when there haven’t been any other kinds of changes that would explain the difference.
At Sentinel Mouthguards, we offer the practical solution for those who suffer from nocturnal grinding of the teeth; our high-quality mouth guards have the engineering that it takes to protect your mouth at night or during the day, from impact and the kinds of breakage and other problems that can occur.
Your dental health is valuable and worth the investment in preventative care. Take a look at what we offer on our modern e-commerce site, and think about getting a simple solution that you can use every night as you drift off to sleep with confidence.