If you are experiencing jaw pain or headaches, you may be grinding your teeth. Visit our Leesburg dental office to get treated for bruxism.
Bruxism is the technical term for teeth grinding, a common problem that is made worse by the fact that many people do it while they are sleeping and don’t even realize it. Habitual teeth grinding can wear down your teeth and cause stress on your jaws. In addition to dental problems, it can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder, a painful condition that causes jaw pain, headaches and other pain around the head and neck.
Bruxism is common in children, though they often outgrow it. Young children often begin nighttime grinding when their baby teeth begin to come in and then again when they get their permanent teeth. If a child complains of painful jaws or headaches after they have had their permanent teeth for some time, they may still be grinding their teeth at night.
In adults, bruxism is sometimes caused by stress, especially daytime grinding. You may find yourself grinding or clenching your teeth during the day. If you seem to do this habitually, you can try to make yourself stop. Nighttime grinding is somewhat of a mystery to science and uncontrollable by the person who does it. It may be stress-related or caused by crooked teeth or a bad bite. It is known that drinking coffee or alcohol late at night tends to increase the likelihood of grinding during sleep.
“Teeth grinding had taken over my life without me realizing it. I was having headaches and my teeth hurt all the time. I didn’t realize grinding was the problem until I saw Dr. Aman. He helped save my teeth from being completely worn down and ruining my smile. He’s the best!”
– Jameson, Hamilton, VA
After experiencing headaches and aching teeth for months, Jameson finally came in to see us at Leesburg Premier Dental. He’d been to the doctor for his headaches, who suggested he visit a dentist to determine if his teeth were being affected by grinding.
Jameson was a nightly teeth grinder, but it was affecting his days as well. “The headaches were affecting my performance at work. I couldn’t concentrate. I needed to figure out what was going on. Dr. Aman was such a great help!”
Dr. Aman was able to fit Jameson with a mouthguard to wear at night to stop the effects of the teeth grinding while they worked on reducing his stress to stop his bruxism completely. “Dr. Aman had some great suggestions so I won’t have to wear the mouthguard forever—but in the meantime, I’m so happy that he saved my teeth from further damage. Thank you Dr. Aman!”
If you have frequent headaches, jaw pain, popping sounds when you open and close your jaws or if know that you clench your teeth frequently during the day, you might have bruxism or TMJ disorder. Teeth grinding can be stopped and TMJ symptoms can be relieved by wearing a special dental appliance while you sleep. The appliance is a mouthpiece that is called a splint. It prevents grinding and positions your teeth and jaws correctly so that stress on your jaws is alleviated.
Dr. Aman in Leesburg can see the signs of bruxism by examining your teeth. If you or your child has worn down teeth from grinding, working on stopping the grinding can prevent your teeth from becoming more damaged. In the case of crooked teeth or a misaligned bite, having the teeth straightened often stops nighttime teeth grinding.
If you want to learn more about bruxism and its treatment, call Dr. Aman’s office for a consultation appointment.
