woman grinding her teeth

Are Your Teeth Feeling The Pressure? How Ro Help Patients Who Clench And Grind Teeth

Brown & Gettings, DDS, Health, Patient Education

At Brown & Gettings, DDS, we not only care about our patients’ oral health, but their overall health as well. When you visit our office for a routine hygiene examination, we do more than just clean your teeth and inspect for decay, we look for signs of weakness in your teeth and mouth that can lead to serious complications in the future. One red flag that indicates a problem is worn teeth. Worn teeth can be a sign that you are clenching and grinding your teeth, a condition known as bruxism.

What Is Bruxism?

Brown & Gettings, DDS, Patient Education

Do you have tenderness or pain in your jaw muscles? Are your teeth worn down, fractured or chipped? If so, you may have bruxism, a condition in which a person grinds their teeth involuntarily while not chewing. The teeth grind or rub together as the jaw moves forcefully either from side to side or back and forth. Often, the person is not aware that they are doing it. While it can happen during the day, bruxism typically takes place while you are asleep. Sleep bruxism is generally more severe due to the force applied during episodes, which can cause serious problems for the teeth and jaw.