Teeth grinding is one of the negative dental side effects of stress. With that in mind, not all teeth grinding is the result of stress. For some patients, this act is caused by the way their teeth interact with one another. For others, it’s a matter of having missing or broken teeth. Whatever the case may be, there is a teeth grinding treatment available for you here at our Chesterfield family dentistry center.
Nightguards
Perhaps the most common treatment for teeth grinding is using a nightguard. This is a soft, comfortable plastic mouthguard that is customized specifically for your smile. It is designed to be worn at night to prevent your teeth from rubbing up against each other. It also relieves pressure on your jawbone and jaw muscles, which will improve your long-term oral health.
If your Michigan family dentist determines that a nightguard is a good fit for your situation, we will create a mold of your teeth to build the mouth piece around. Once the oral appliance is made for your smile, we will teach you when to wear it, how to wear it, and how to clean it so you can get the most of your teeth grinding relief.
Orthodontics And Invisible Braces
In some cases, teeth grinding is caused by issues with bite alignment. If your teeth are not aligned properly, some teeth may make contact with each other before others do. Ideally, your teeth should all touch at the same time when you chew or speak. Invisible braces and other orthodontic procedures can align your teeth so they no longer brush against each other when they shouldn’t. You can discuss your teeth alignment options during your dental consultation.
Enamel Adjustments
Invisible braces aren’t the only solutions for miss-timed teeth interactions. If one of your teeth is slightly larger than it is supposed to be, your cosmetic dentist in Michigan can shave a small part of the enamel off to reshape your smile. This is a slight adjustment that is not recommended for everyone because it could compromise the structural integrity of your tooth or teeth. In certain cases though, it is the perfect way to combat teeth grinding for good.
Talk to your Michigan family dentist about the cause of your teeth grinding and different ways you can go about treating it. He or she will monitor the progress of your oral health to make sure your teeth grinding treatment is working the way it’s supposed to.
