Nighttime Teeth Grinding
Nighttime grinding and/or teeth-clenching is a major cause of tooth loss. While many patients are not aware of this habit, the damage can be significant – sometimes even resulting in reconstructive treatment. However, if caught early, this damage can be prevented easily.
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Are your teeth slowly disappearing?
- Do you have worn teeth, or are they getting shorter?
- Are all of your upper front teeth the same length?
- Do you find your facial, neck, or shoulder muscles tense in the morning? What about in the afternoon?
- Do you catch yourself clenching your teeth during stressful times?
- Do you get frequent headaches?
- Do you have notches in the sides of your back teeth at the gumline? You can usually feel them with your fingernail.
- Do your teeth hurt, or are they sensitive?
- Do your jaw joints (TMJ) click or pop? Are they tender or sore? Has your jaw ever locked open or closed?
- Are your teeth chipping?
- Are you breaking fillings and crowns?
Prevention
A customized night guard is an effective way to prevent damage to your teeth, jaw joints, and muscles. Other benefits may include grinding/clenching less frequently, and fewer headaches.
Many migraines are caused by clenching at night. Some of Dr. Cuff’s patients have had a remarkable reduction of migraine headaches with a special night guard called the “NTI”, which stands for “Nociception Trigeminal Inhibition”. It is an amazing treatment that is a miracle for headache-sufferers.
Watch a video on Normal TMJ Function
Treatment
A misaligned bite can cause damage and discomfort. Your treatment may include orthodontics (braces), selective reshaping of the biting surfaces, a night guard, restorative treatment, or a combination of any of these.