30 Oct Grinding/Clenching

In our high stress world we are seeing more grinding and clenching.

It expresses itself as…..

• Worn shorter teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Headaches, neckaches
• TMJ (Temporo Mandibular Joint ) problems.

Treatment first of all involves awareness of the problem. There are millions of people walking around wondering why they have constant headaches, even when waking up in the morning! It is important to become self aware of the problem as it is easy to be clenching or grinding through the day without being aware of it. We find that it is often associated with stressful situations, especially with kids, driving or working on a computer.

When we are at rest or relaxed, it is normal for the teeth to be apart slightly (called the freeway space). Try to catch yourself clenching or grinding and relaaaaax ! (Don’t put your tongue between your teeth as sets up a new set of problems).

Night time bruxism is harder to deal with. Anxiolytic drugs like valium are a poor short term solution. We usually construct a night time only splint to break the habit, decompress the TM Joints and stop the excess tooth wear or headaches. It also acts a smooth “ice rink” to allow smooth gliding of the jaws in a better pattern with no catching on individual teeth.

Different splints are used for different circumstances.

If you are dealing with this issue, why not book an appointment with Kawana Dental.