How to know you need a mouthguard for teeth grinding?

Do you wake up from a night’s sleep with sore teeth and jaws? You could be grinding your teeth known as bruxism. The clenching of jaws and grinding of the teeth can develop at any age.

Many people grind teeth unconsciously during sleep and can also do while awake. People focusing on work often tend to place the teeth together and apply force through a contraction of the jaw. This includes daytime tasks, reading, writing and driving.

As per the dentist in Mississauga, ON, teeth grinding is a serious problem. Therefore, signs that show you need a mouthguard due to teeth grinding-

Waking up with a chipped or broken tooth

This is the best way to identify that you need a mouthguard. A chipped tooth not only requires dental care for repair but also shows that teeth grinding has become a serious problem. As you touch your teeth together and grind back and forth, a lot of pressure is applied on the enamel during sleep. This causes the actual damage to your teeth which is expensive to get a fix and can also lead to cavities. Wear a mouthguard to save your tooth from getting chipped more or broken.

Having headaches

Many people complain of having morning headaches. There could be many reasons but one of the main reasons could be teeth grinding. The dentist at Mississauga can confirm by looking at the condition of your teeth. A mouthguard will not stop you from grinding completely but can be helpful. Visit the dentist to know more about the available options. Relaxation exercises are recommended that can help you wind down at night so you don’t grind much. Therefore, the dentist can suggest the best ways of minimizing the teeth grinding.

Severe teeth pain, jaw pain or soreness and ear pain

Teeth grinding put a lot of stress and strain on jaw muscles and make them inflamed. When you get up, you may feel your jaw hurt and stiff or teeth and face is paining. This may not allow you to open your mouth or chew. While chewing or talking, you may experience clicking or popping sounds. Therefore, teeth grinding causes ear pain, buzzing sounds in ears and may also lead to hearing the loss in one or both ears.

Diagnosed with TMJ disorder

TMJ disorder occurs when the muscles around the jaw become inflamed. This could be the result of clenching the jaw and teeth grinding. It is diagnosed with an easy dental examination and the dentist recommends wearing a mouthguard. A mouthguard protects the teeth from clenching and grinding and also reduces the pain associated with TMJ disorder.

Intake of antidepressants

Many people take antidepressants regularly, so talk to the dentist about a mouthguard. It has been found that paroxetine is the main ingredient in many antidepressants which is the cause of teeth grinding. If you intake such medicine, you need to protect your teeth against the side effects. You can talk to your doctor about getting the dosage adjusted or changing to another antidepressant if grinding is a problem.

Chronic teeth grinding

Some people tend to grind teeth occasionally due to some temporary issues such as stress at work. If this is chronic and you do it every night, then you need to visit the dentist for mouthguards in Mississauga, ON. A mouthguard will not stop the jaw clenching but will eventually minimize the side effects of teeth grinding during sleep.

Teeth can withstand a lot of stress and strain. Continuous grinding will wear down the tooth enamel and exposes the teeth to sensitivity. This could lead to-

• Front teeth looking smaller
• Cracked teeth
• Molars look flat on top and have pits

You get the permanent set of teeth only once. Teeth can be replaced nowadays but its best to keep the natural teeth for as long as possible. Teeth grinding is not noticeable and causes a lot of damage to the teeth. Exercises are recommended so that you don’t feel stressed and anxious. Wear a mouthguard to prevent jaw clenching and teeth grinding during sleep and start your morning pain-free.