Teeth Grinding: Before And After!

Teeth grinding is a common issue these days due to our stressful lives. Teeth grinding can also turn into a bigger problem known as bruxism. Bruxism is a chronic condition where people grind their teeth subconsciously. This constant teeth grinding can lead to other dental issues and, in some cases, severe health issues like migraines.

Commonly wearing a dental guard can reduce the effects of bruxism, but a poorly fit dental guard can give raise to other dental problems like swollen gums and toothache. Custom dental guards can get rid of these issues, as they are designed to fit your dental profile properly.

But still, there can be long-lasting effects of teeth grinding. Read on to find out what can happen if you don’t take swift action and care for your bruxism.

Mechanism of bruxism

Bruxism results from sympathetic nervous system activity that leads to an increase in brain activity during sleep. This increased activity results in elevated heart rate and uneven breathing and eventually leads to something called rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA).

This RMMA causes the person to rhythmically open and close their mouth during sleep. Eventually, the opening and closing of the mouth are replaced by jaw clenching and teeth grinding.

As a person continue to grind their teeth, the brain gets more stressed, and the bruxism continues to increase until it leads to toothaches and headaches when the person wakes up.

Continued teeth clenching and grinding prevent the person from developing a healthy sleep schedule. This, in turn, increases their bruxism issues even more.

Problems With Teeth Grinding For Prolonged Periods

Shorter Teeth

Prolonged, untreated bruxism can lead to visibly shorter teeth. This happens due to continuous teeth grinding that starts eroding your teeth and decreasing their length. On top of that, if you have poor dental health, this process will get faster, and you’ll notice the difference between your teeth profile in a few months. While shortened and flattened teeth might look bad.

They also come with a plethora of dental issues, namely enamel damage and difficulty in eating. But that’s not all;in certain cases, people can have speech issues since the tongue doesn’t roll off the teeth as before. Even if you visit a dentist, they won’t be able to offer any specific help since it can damage the teeth further.

Damaged Enamel

The grinding and eroding also harm your enamel. The enamel is the strongest part of your teeth and protects them from several oral and environmental damage. But once the enamel is gone, your teeth are left unprotected. This results in an increase in cavities, sensitivity, and in the long run, tooth decay. 

You might also lose your teeth in the process because there’s no enamel to protect the cavities from getting into the teeth. Usually, this enamel damage also happens at a slower rate, so it’s not noticeable in the beginning. 

But with time, your teeth’s sensitivity increases, and by that time, it’s too late. Moreover, since the bruxism isn’t treated, it keeps eroding the enamel layer, and your teeth’s condition worsens.

Crooked And Uneven Teeth

Added pressure from constant teeth grinding can cause your teeth to become uneven and crooked. This, combined with weaker gums, can expedite the process. Even if you had braces or aligners previously, bruxism can undo all the hard work and destroy your smile. 

These corked teeth can result in your mouth not closing properly. This, again, stresses out your brain and increases the effects of bruxism. Since there’s a lot of damage done to your teeth by bruxism, it’s not easy to get the crooked teeth fixed because it’s highly likely that your enamel was damaged too, and the gums have nerve damage as well. Crooked teeth also lead to bite problems and can affect your speech over time.

Swollen Gums

Our gums aren’t that strong compared to other muscles in the body. That’s why they can get damaged pretty easily, and once the gums are damaged, the teeth won’t stay strong for long. Continuous pressure on the gums from teeth grinding will swell the gums and cause nerve damage. 

Sometimes, the gums even look inflamed due to the irritation. Bruxism also leads to damaged supporting tissues that hold your teeth in place, so once the gums are damaged, you’ll end up with loose teeth that can fall at any time. If you continue to grind your teeth even after that, you can imagine the scale of issues you’ll end up with.

Gum Recession

Gum recession naturally occurs as a result of aging. When it happens, it means the teeth aren’t as strong as before and need extra care. But putting aside the age factor, gum recession can also happen as a result of teeth grinding. 

Due to the added pressure, people with bruxism can also see their gums slowly exposing their teeth. Teeth grinding moves the teeth back and forth on a micro level, so the gums slowly start losing their grip on the teeth. This commonly goes unnoticed, but in the long run, you can see the effects in the form of gum recession.

Damaged Braces

If you wear braces and suffer from bruxism, it can be a bad combination. Braces are joined through a wide to align your teeth and can cause discomfort. But this discomfort is usually mild. However, combining this with added pressure and grinding due to bruxism, you can end up in serious pain. 

Moreover, the pressure from the teeth grinding can cause the alignment to go off and, in the worst-case scenario, can even break the wire and undo all the hard work.

A Viable Solution

Bruxism doesn’t come with a cure. This is because it’s more related to a person’s psychology. So as long as a person is stressed, their teeth clenching will stay. But theirs is one thing you can do. Get a custom dental guard.

These dental guards offer a cushion effect that might not cure your bruxism but protects your teeth, gums, and jaw from any more suffering. This cushioning effect loosens the pressure on the teeth, reducing gum sensitivity and preventing jaw pain.

Additionally, if you have migraines due to bruxism, a custom night guard can also help relieve that pain. Custom night guards are better than over-the-counter ones because they fit your dental profile perfectly and are customized t your unique needs.

Get Your Custom Mouth guards Through Clear Comfort

You can protect your teeth from harm by using a night guard to buffer the impacts of bruxism. Night guards also help you get a full night's sleep, making you less stressed and lessening your bruxism. Clear Comfort Night Guards is a Los Angeles-based dental lab that supplies custom mouthguards to people who experience bruxism.

Even if you have crooked or uneven teeth, our night guards are custom-made for you. Our expert dental technicians can make guards to your specifications. On our website, you can choose between soft, ultra-thin, hard, and ultra hard night guards.

Aside from that, we sell sports mouthguards for people who participate in sports that could injure their jaw or teeth. The guards are all composed of durable material. After you make a purchase, we will send you an impression kit so that you can construct a one-of-a-kind mold of your teeth. Not only that, but we also provide quick shipping, simple returns, and a money-back guarantee. So hurry up, look through our collection, and place your order for custom dental guards today!