Family Find a Dentist in Indianapolis, IN to Examine Your Teeth For Signs of Bruxism
Posted on: February 28th, 2015 by Shadrach Gonqueh
When looking to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, we recommend that you visit our office and have your teeth checked for signs of bruxism. If you haven’t heard of this technical term, it is when people grind or clench their teeth at night or throughout the day when they aren’t eating. This condition, while seemingly minor, can lead to a cracked or chipped natural or replacement tooth along with enamel erosion, causing sensitive teeth.
Signs of bruxism
Those with bruxism typically have teeth that appear flat on the bottom. Naturally, teeth tend to have points where bruxism causes the enamel to wear down. Those with a severe degree of it may start to see their teeth erode upwards as more of the tooth structure begins to wear away. This is often seen in young children that grind their teeth at night. Another common sign is indentations on the tongue.
Why it’s bad for you
If you have bruxism, it can lead to severe erosion of your enamel. When looking to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, you should see one that treats erosion because of how uncomfortable it can be once the enamel on your teeth has worn away. The enamel serves as a protective barrier, ensuring that the dentin underneath is not exposed since dentin is more porous and contains your nerve endings. Once the enamel has worn away, anything that you eat, drink, and even air can cause irritation when coming in contact with your teeth.
Treatment options
If your enamel has only worn away slightly, we can use fluoride to help strengthen your teeth or perform a bonding procedure. If, however, much of your enamel has worn away we will need to seal in your dentin and the best way to do so is by placing a dental crown on your tooth. This performs two functions – it prevents anything from touching your tooth in order to protect it and restores the appearance of your tooth. Regardless of how worn down your natural tooth is, a dental crown can typically restore it in both functionality and appearance.
Once your teeth are protected and restored, we must move to prevent bruxism from reoccurring since it will also damage your restoration. One of the ways to do so is by providing you with a night guard. These look like a full retainer, but they don’t allow the teeth to touch at night, making it impossible to clench your teeth or grind them in your sleep.
We also suggest that you also avoid touching your teeth together during the day. Many people mistakenly believe that their teeth have to touch at all times. This can further the likelihood of the enamel on your teeth wearing down and you experiencing jaw pain. Instead, allow for your jaw and teeth to remain in a relaxed state when you are not eating and when you do eat, be careful with how you chew. Be purposeful yet gentle.
If you need to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, we recommend giving our office a call so that we can examine your teeth and ensure you are in excellent oral health and if you have bruxism or some other condition, we can recommend a treatment plan.
When looking to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, we recommend that you visit our office and have your teeth checked for signs of bruxism. If you haven’t heard of this technical term, it is when people grind or clench their teeth at night or throughout the day when they aren’t eating. This condition, while seemingly minor, can lead to a cracked or chipped natural or replacement tooth along with enamel erosion, causing sensitive teeth.
Signs of bruxism
Those with bruxism typically have teeth that appear flat on the bottom. Naturally, teeth tend to have points where bruxism causes the enamel to wear down. Those with a severe degree of it may start to see their teeth erode upwards as more of the tooth structure begins to wear away. This is often seen in young children that grind their teeth at night. Another common sign is indentations on the tongue.
Why it’s bad for you
If you have bruxism, it can lead to severe erosion of your enamel. When looking to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, you should see one that treats erosion because of how uncomfortable it can be once the enamel on your teeth has worn away. The enamel serves as a protective barrier, ensuring that the dentin underneath is not exposed since dentin is more porous and contains your nerve endings. Once the enamel has worn away, anything that you eat, drink, and even air can cause irritation when coming in contact with your teeth.
Treatment options
If your enamel has only worn away slightly, we can use fluoride to help strengthen your teeth or perform a bonding procedure. If, however, much of your enamel has worn away we will need to seal in your dentin and the best way to do so is by placing a dental crown on your tooth. This performs two functions – it prevents anything from touching your tooth in order to protect it and restores the appearance of your tooth. Regardless of how worn down your natural tooth is, a dental crown can typically restore it in both functionality and appearance.
Once your teeth are protected and restored, we must move to prevent bruxism from reoccurring since it will also damage your restoration. One of the ways to do so is by providing you with a night guard. These look like a full retainer, but they don’t allow the teeth to touch at night, making it impossible to clench your teeth or grind them in your sleep.
We also suggest that you also avoid touching your teeth together during the day. Many people mistakenly believe that their teeth have to touch at all times. This can further the likelihood of the enamel on your teeth wearing down and you experiencing jaw pain. Instead, allow for your jaw and teeth to remain in a relaxed state when you are not eating and when you do eat, be careful with how you chew. Be purposeful yet gentle.
If you need to find a dentist in Indianapolis, IN, we recommend giving our office a call so that we can examine your teeth and ensure you are in excellent oral health and if you have bruxism or some other condition, we can recommend a treatment plan. 