Teeth Grinding/Mouthguards in Chatswood
Teeth Grinding/Mouthguards in Chatswood
Teeth Grinding – Prevention With Custom Mouthguards
Finding out that you suffer from teeth grinding at our clinic can often come as a surprise. Teeth grinding occurs when a person clenches or grinds their teeth often during sleep. As such, you may be blissfully unaware of this habit until our dentist highlights the damage caused during a regular check-up.
If left untreated, teeth grinding can lead to:
- Tooth sensitivity
- Enamel erosion
- Long-term facial pain
- Temporomandibular Joint Disease (TMD)
- Fractured teeth
- Change in your facial profile
- Unattractive smile
Rather than treating teeth grinding solely as a dental condition, our dentist takes a holistic overview, helping patients to manage their condition as a whole.
How We Treat The Problem Of Teeth Grinding
One fail-proof method used here at Boutique Dental Care to protect teeth is to provide custom made mouthguards for patients. While they aren’t designed to stop the act of teeth grinding, they will protect the teeth when any grinding occurs.
Our dentist can also
- lower any raised fillings which may also be causing teeth grinding
- recommend orthodontic treatment for misaligned teeth, or
- provide muscle relaxant injections that paralyse the muscles in the jaw that are used during teeth grinding.
Dr Quah-Shepherd may also suggest relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation to help a patient unwind and can even refer you to a specialist for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) if necessary.
What Causes Teeth Grinding?
People tend to develop teeth grinding (bruxism) when they become stressed or anxious but equally, teeth grinding can also continue through calmer periods.It has also been linked to sleep disorders including snoring. Either way, it can cause severe damage to a patient’s oral health.
The cause of teeth grinding is different for each patient and at our clinic, Dr Quah-Shepherd tries to determine whether the cause is physical, genetic, or psychological.
Day-time teeth grinding, for example, can be caused by anxiety, tension, stress and even concentration. Night-time bruxism can sometimes be related to hyperactivity, acid reflux, and sleep apnoea. It can also be a side effect of certain medications.
The risk of teeth grinding is also accelerated by caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.
Continuous teeth grinding in children is not normal and can have detrimental effects on their jaw and facial development.Please consult Dr Meng if your child grinds their teeth.
Custom Mouthguards in Chatswood NSW
Besides bruxism mouthguards, we also provide custom mouthguards for TMJ pain and disorder, mouthguards for sport, and orthodontics mouthguards should you or your child wear braces.
If you suspect you may suffer from teeth grinding or need a mouthguard for sports to protect your teeth, then we are here to help.