Prevent Teeth Grinding

    HOUSTON, TX, June 26, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Many people unknowingly grind their teeth at night. Teeth grinding, also referred to as bruxism, can severely damage the teeth and is a symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). People tend to grind their teeth when their lower jaw is not properly aligned with their upper jaw. This misalignment of the jaw leads to TMD and many painful symptoms such as migraine-like headaches and facial pain.

Teeth grinding can negatively affect your teeth aesthetically and structurally. The teeth can become damaged to the point that they need to be repaired with crowns, bridges, or inlays and onlays. The symptoms teeth grinding may cause include:

- Unexplained toothaches
- Sore jaws
- Earaches
- Headaches when you wake in the morning
- Worn down teeth
- Loose teeth
- Missing teeth
- Cracked or chipped teeth

You will want to visit your neuromuscular dentist immediately if you believe you are grinding your teeth at night. Teeth grinding can lead to serious dental issues and may be caused by TMD. TMD is a serious condition that causes most patients debilitating pain. A neuromuscular dentist is the best person to see about treating your teeth grinding and TMD because a neuromuscular dentist is specifically trained to properly align your jaw and jaw joints.

Preventing Teeth Grinding

Your neuromuscular dentist may suggest an oral appliance for you to wear at night to keep your teeth apart and your jaws in place. The oral appliance will be custom-made to fit your mouth so you can have a comfortable nights sleep without grinding your teeth. An oral appliance will help prevent teeth grinding and also aid in the treatment of TMD.

For severe cases of teeth grinding, your neuromuscular dentist may prescribe muscle relaxants to help the jaw muscles relax during sleep. Muscle relaxants will greatly reduce the amount of grinding you do during your sleep, but are not a long-term fix for teeth grinding. Muscle relaxants will greatly slow the progression of damage being done to your teeth by grinding while you and your neuromuscular dentist use other methods to cure your TMD.

Your neuromuscular dentist will not only want to treat the teeth grinding, but he will also want to treat the cause of the teeth grinding. TMD occurs when the temporomandibular joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull is misaligned. Your neuromuscular dentist will examine your bite and determine where your jaw's proper alignment is and then treat your TMD by properly aligning the misalignment of the jaw.

For additional information about teeth grinding and TMD, please visit the Houston, Texas dental office, Konig Center for Cosmetic & Comprehensive Dentistry today.
Website: http://www.konigdds.com

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