How Grinding Your Teeth is Damaging

Grinding your teeth does more than just create an unpleasant sound. It can really affect the health of your teeth and your jaw. At Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, we can provide our patients with night guards for protection. Keep reading to learn the damaging effects of grinding your teeth.

When the teeth are continually ground together, it can start to affect the teeth in a way that will eventually affect their health. Grinding your teeth can start to wear down enamel. Dentists can usually tell a person grinds their teeth by looking for signs of this. When the enamel is worn down, it makes teeth more prone to cavities. It can also make them appear short if the grinding goes on for a long period of time. In addition, the places where the enamel is worn down can become sensitive due to exposed nerve tubules.

When a patient grinds their teeth, they are also likely clenching their jaw. This creates more damaging pressure on the teeth. It can loosen teeth, fillings, and other restorations. It can also begin to irritate the jaw joints, called the temporomandibular joints. The temporomandibular joints, TMJs, can become inflamed, swollen, tender, and stiff. Many patients notice clicking or popping sounds and pain. The jaw can also become stuck open or shut. This irritated condition is commonly referred to as TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction).

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it is important to see us for an evaluation. We can help protect your teeth and jaw with a night guard. To schedule an appointment with Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, call us at (212) 509-4585 or visit our website, www.maidenlanedental.com. 

Dr. Lloyd Becker Treats TMJ Disorders

TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your skull at the temporal bone. While many call disorders associated with this joint, TMJ, those disorders are more appropriately called TMD (temporomandibular disorder), and TMD can have symptoms that range from teeth grinding and headaches to trouble chewing and pain when opening and closing your mouth. TMD is not only an annoying disorder; it is also a destructive one and can cause serious damage to your teeth if left untreated. At our office in New York, NY, Dr. Lloyd Becker can determine if you suffer from TMD and offer ways to treat the disorder.

The TMJ controls an assortment of jaw functions, including chewing, so if you’re chewing muscles or the joint itself is in pain, it is possible that you have TMD. TMD is often caused by stress, which leads to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding while awake and asleep. TMD’s symptoms include pain, trouble chewing, lock jaw, headaches or ear pain and a popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth. However, these symptoms may be indicative of other health problems as well, so it is important to see a medical professional for a diagnosis.

Grinding your teeth is an especially worrisome TMD-associated behavior since it can lead to further problems with your mouth. If your teeth grinding is left unaddressed, you will cause serious wear to the enamel of your teeth and expose the dentin, which will make your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold and more susceptible to decay. However, you can work with Dr. Becker to relieve symptoms with mouth guards or night guards.

If you think that you might be suffering from TMD or teeth grinding, schedule an appointment Maiden Lane Dental by calling 212-509-4585. For more information, visit www.maidenlanedental.com.

Night Guards

At our practice in New York, NY, we see many patients who suffer from bruxism, a condition marked by teeth grinding or excessive clenching. Some of these people grind their teeth or clench their jaw consciously throughout the day, but an even greater number do so at night while sleeping. Many of our patients who grind at night do not even realize that they do it until the results of the behavior give the condition away. If you grind your teeth, you will often experience damage to your enamel, as well as jaw pain, headaches and gum irritation. To protect your teeth, you must seek treatment, and Maiden Lane Dental, we find that night guards are the best way to prevent bruxism’s negative effects.

Similar to those worn by athletes, night guards provide a barrier between your top and bottom teeth when you sleep. By reducing wear to your teeth and making it harder for you to grind, your teeth will be healthier and you will feel better overall. We custom fit these night guards to make them as comfortable as possible. To fit you with a night guard, we will take an impression of your teeth to send to our dental lab for fabrication. Night guards created in a lab are very durable and can last for up to 10 years.

If you find yourself frequently waking up with headaches or pain in your jaw, it is very possible that you grind in your sleep. Often those who do not treat their bruxism end up with TMD, and they can even change the appearance of their face. To diagnose and treat your night grinding, call 212-509-4585 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lloyd Becker. For more information, visit www.maidenlanedental.com.