A beautiful smile is contagious, but no one is smiling over the pain and discomfort of teeth grinding. Teeth grinding, medically known as bruxism, may affect up to 20% of Americans, although most sufferers of teeth grinding are unaware of their condition. For some people, stress and anxiety in life or work can trigger tension experienced in the jaw muscle, which, therefore, may lead to bruxism. If an individual suffers from a misalignment of teeth, the bite could also lead to teeth grinding due to a constant discomfort. A misalignment, or malocclusion, suggests the crowding of teeth. When malocclusion occurs, the patient has difficulty while chewing food and discomfort while biting down. Malocclusion and tension in the jaw muscles can increase the probability of bruxism in patients. Often times, bruxism unconsciously happens at night and may be diagnosed as a sleeping disorder.
Symptoms of teeth grinding include tension from clenching and aching in the jaw muscle or joint known as the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). In addition to a dull aching, people with bruxism often experience consistent headaches or have trouble chewing because of damage to their tooth enamel from constantly gnashing and grinding the top surfaces of teeth.
Dentists and orthodontists may offer an easy solution to bruxism. By creating oral appliances as a means to cushion the lower and upper sets of teeth, dentists offer these solutions at an affordable cost. The essential mouth guard would be worn at night to prevent unconscious clenching and gnashing. Some dentists allow for the custom molding of a patients mouth to create the oral device for individual clients, while other dentists offer a generic mouth piece that helps all candidates with the problem of teeth grinding. Such a solution is cost effective and affordable, while allowing patients to clean the mouth guard in order to help maintain oral hygiene. Not all bruxism cases occur at night. For those who experience bruxism during the day, please seek more information or medical and dental advice pertaining to individual cases. A therapist who deals with physical and emotional stress may help to alleviate and deal with high levels of anxiety experienced in life or at work.
For more information or questions concerning teeth grinding and oral appliances in Studio City for teeth grinding, please contact Dr. Alexander Ash and his Studio Dental Care practice in Studio City, California.
Dr. Ash offers free consultations and affordable solutions to teeth grinding and bruxism in Studio City for his clients. Call our office today at !
For press or information, please contact Dr. Alexander Ash at Studio Dental Care’s office at . Studio Dental Care’s website is http://www.studiodentalcare.com/ and their office is located at 12412 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604.
By Alexander Ash, DDS
Dr. Ash is the founder of Studio Dental Care. He earned his Doctorate at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, followed by two General Residencies at New York-Presbyterian / Weill-Cornell Hospital and the UCLA Sepulveda VA Hospital.