It’s normal to clench or grind your teeth every once in a while. But if the clenching becomes a habit it can lead to serious damage.
Habitual teeth clenching can lead to serious oral health issues, including receding gums, cavities, and enamel loss. If teeth clenching is left untreated, it can also cause your teeth to deteriorate, which can lead to tooth loss.
Teeth clenching often occurs while you sleep, making it hard a hard habit to break. While stress can be a cause, often times teeth clenching stems from another issue, like an abnormal bite, a missing tooth, or even crooked teeth.
Dr. Dyer and the team at Fort Bend Periodontist have solutions that can help resolve the underlying issue and prevent future teeth clenching and grinding for good.
Night Guards
Night guards are a quick solution for teeth grinding. By putting a barrier between your teeth at night the guard prevents grinding and damage to your teeth. When you clench your jaw, the guard help lighten the tension to the muscles in the jaw. A good night guard is custom fitted for your mouth, and not one-size-fits-all.
Botox
Botox is probably best known for its cosmetic use, injected in the forehead and between your eyes, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. A trained periodontist can also use Botox to prevent your facial muscles from contracting, which helps relieve teeth clenching.
For this procedure, your periodontist will inject small amounts of Botox directly into the large muscle that moves the jaw, known as the masseter. Botox may not be a long term solution, but it can help relax your muscles enough to alleviate teeth grinding and even related headaches for three or four months.
Bite Adjustment
A permanent solution involves a small procedure called a bite adjustment. This involves grinding away a minimal amount of enamel of the tooth to re-shape it. This allows your teeth to come together in a more even and functional way. A bite adjustment procedure can also relieve pain from associated headaches.
For more information about preventing teeth clenching and relieving muscle pain and headaches call the office of Fort Bend Periodontics & Implantology. Dr. Dyer and his staff are highly trained to find the best solution for your needs, from Botox to a bite adjustment.
