BRUXISM ( TEETH GRINDING)

Do you grind your teeth at night? Do you clench your jaw during the day? Do you have pain in your jaw, headaches, facial pain, tooth pain, worn or damaged teeth? If so, Dr. Chapnick points out that you may be suffering from bruxism or tooth-grinding, a common condition in our culture. Often labeled merely as teeth grinding, bruxism can be much more than that.

As a physiologic dentist, Dr. Chapnick sees many patients with symptoms of bruxism. Some never realized that tooth grinding caused their symptoms, and that the causes of tooth grinding are treatable.

Stress is a common cause, but not the only one. Suppressed anger or frustration may also lead to grinding your teeth. Regardless of the cause, treatment should include at least the temporary use of a mouth guard or other device to help stabilize your jaw and protect your teeth from further damage. Bruxism caused by your teeth not meshing properly (malocclusion) is also treatable by realigning your jaw or teeth, extraction teeth and other restorative procedures.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) (TMD) is another consideration. TMD can create conditions that cause bruxism, and bruxism can cause TMD. So, whether a medical condition, stress, jaw mal-development, sleep disorders or other something else causes your bruxism, a neuromuscular dental evaluation should be included in your diagnostic plan.

For more information on treating bruxism in Toronto, please contact at Chapnick Dental Office for a personal consultation.