With proper rest, you can reliably start each morning feeling refreshed and energized. It may be less than shocking to feel groggy and lethargic after poor sleep, but other problems at the start of your day can be harder to explain. For example, you may have a tendency to wake up with pain and stiffness in your jaw along with dental sensitivity and facial discomfort. What can cause this is an ongoing issue with bruxism, which can lead to frequent nightly teeth grinding and clenching. At our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, we can recommend solutions when these problems impact you. The right protection can bring relief for your aching joints and muscles, and it can protect you against potentially serious dental damage!
Nightly Teeth Grinding Can Create Several Unwelcome Problems For You
In time, a problem with nightly teeth grinding and clenching can have several serious consequences. Starting your day with pain can certainly be unpleasant. Unfortunately, as the problem continues to affect you, it can lead to more serious issues with dental damage. The friction created from this habit can lead to chips, cracks, and other problems. In other words, if you wait too long to do something about bruxism, the harm to your smile can call for cosmetic or even restorative dental work! Because you are not awake to stop yourself from grinding and clenching, it can be difficult to deal with this issue on your own. Fortunately, a custom oral appliance can prevent further problems.
Planning Your Treatment To Address Bruxism
After evaluating your teeth and oral structures, our practice can provide you with a custom oral appliance to address your nightly issues with bruxism. Wearing it when you rest ensures that your upper and lower teeth remain separate. This protects your enamel, and it can also reduce the tension on your jaw joints and muscles.
When Teeth Grinding Leads To Dental Damage
When patients reach out to discuss the signs of bruxism, they can protect themselves before there is permanent dental damage to worry about. Unfortunately, not everyone arranges treatment in time. If you already have dental damage, we can recommend care based on the current state of your smile. For those who have superficial harm to worry about, we can recommend cosmetic dental work. However, you may need more advanced care if the damage is serious enough to impact your oral health.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA Dentist About Your Concerns Over Morning Jaw Pain
The problems you experience with morning jaw pain could be linked to bruxism, something that will cause worsening discomfort as time passes. If you would like to learn how our practice can help, please reach out to Dental Impressions at (515) 965-0230 to schedule a visit.
