The effects of stress

Do you suffer like thousands of others with headaches, earaches or jaw pain? If so, you could be feeling the effects of chronic teeth clenching or grinding (also known as Bruxism). Here at Carolina Dentistry @ The StateLine one of the common dental issues expressed by our patients are the effects of clenching or grinding of the teeth. Did you know that most of the time when we clench our teeth or grind them we aren’t even aware of it? For most of us this process is happening at night during variations of our sleep cycle. Our bodies need to find a way to release the built up stress, this is when our subconscious takes over and we end up clenching or grinding during our sleep. You may have noticed waking up in the morning with sore teeth, sore facial muscles and/or headaches? This could be one or some of the tell-tale signs that it’s time to see the dentist to help resolve this for you. Sometimes there are no tell-tale signs, apart from needing treatment every time you see the dentist, a crown here, or worn down biting surface of your teeth. We understand this can be frustrating for you. The good news is this is where Carolina Dentistry @ The StateLine dental expertise can provide knowledge and treatment options to protect your oral health. We have helped many patients with this issue over the years. There are treatments that can be completed and appliances that can be made to help reduce the impact that clenching and grinding have on your teeth. These appliances also help to alleviate and reduce the stress and tension of the facial muscles, relieving the pain and discomfort that can occur. The dental industry has come a long way to reduce the occurrence of cavities and gum disease but we still need to help bring attention to reducing and slowing down extensive treatment and tooth loss from clenching and grinding. This constant negative process of clenching and grinding slowly breaks down teeth over time by causing fractures in the tooth structure, weakening it until eventually teeth start to chip, crack and break. Grinding of the teeth can be a hard habit to break, especially because most people can’t break habits that they can’t control. Along with appliances that can be made to reduce the negative of impact teeth grinding, we also suggest taking up activities that help you relax, like yoga or running. In order to get ready for your appointment with us, it is best that you can bring us as much information about any dental concerns as possible. The benefit of getting a patient into a night guard appliance to help alleviate stress induced clenching is that it is a simple and an affordable method to start them on the road to recovery while protecting their oral health! We look forward to providing dental care for you and your family at Carolina Dentistry @ The StateLine. For more information or to schedule please give us a call today!