Grinding Teeth At Night - Why It's Not Good
Most people will eventually grind teeth at some point in their lives
. This makes this an almost normal activity. That is however, only if it is performed occasionally. There might be a real problem if gnashing is done on a regular basis. Gnashing at night while sleeping gives even more cause for concern.
A person who constantly gnashes often does so involuntarily. This is true regardless of the time of day. In most cases though, people are most unaware of it when they do it at night simply because they are asleep. This is when problems may arise. Gnashing can cause gradual damage in the form of wearing down and chipping. Severe grinding of teeth may also cause gums to recede. Moreover, a person with this condition may begin to experience headaches, facial pain, earache and TMJ disorders.
Obviously, the condition is not one to take for granted. If you don't take proper steps to address the issue you could end up enduring the pain and discomfort of symptoms and complications for a very long time. You don't want your dental issues to become so severe that you'd have to undergo complicated dental procedures. Moreover, the sound of nightly gnashing can also become a minor point of contention between you and your sleeping partner.
One problem with grinding teeth at night is that you may not be able to detect it unless a sleeping companion tells you about it. If you don't sleep with a person beside you, you may have to rely entirely on symptom detection. Keep in mind though that many of the symptoms of this particular condition can be mistaken for signs of some other medical problem.
The best way to determine if you do have the condition is to go for regular dental check-ups. For long term issues, a routine check will reveal if there are any signs of gradual wearing or damage. These are clues that may lead your dentist to suspect that you do grind teeth a lot. If you experience any other form of discomfort in your mouth or on your face, you would do well to tell your dentist about it to help support indications of the condition.
Different experts suggest different causes of the condition. These possible causes affect treatment recommendations. Some suggest for example that the condition is the result of stress and tension. In this case, some patients may be required to undergo anxiety management treatment or behavior therapy.
There are also some experts who say that the condition is truly more of a long standing habit that's just hard to break. Some behavioral approaches may help remedy bad habits but a cheaper approach to address this dental issue is to simply use teeth guards.
There are different guards that can stop grinding teeth at night. You can easily buy some over the counter. In most cases though, it is best to ask a specialist to mold custom guards for you. This is the best way to make sure that the guards you use fit well and don't slip off when you sleep at night.
by: Jimmy Cox
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