When you wake up, do any of the following symptoms sound familiar?
- Aching jaw joints
- Aching and sensitive teeth
- A stiff and painful neck
- Frequent toothaches
- Morning headaches
- Difficulties or limitations opening your mouth
- Tension type headaches
- Migraines
If you have experienced such symptoms regularly, you may be one of many people who suffer from tooth grinding or clenching during your sleep.
Also called bruxism, it is estimated that everyone experiences this sleep disorder at some stage in their life and it is very common in young children. Often temporary, this problem usually resolves without treatment, however, chronic bruxism can have a major impact on your teeth, jaw and general wellbeing.
With repeated, intense teeth clenching and grinding you may experience pain in the surrounding tissues, joints and muscles of the head and neck. The forces can also lead to broken teeth, filling and crowns.
Here at The Family Dental & Implant Centre, we can treat these symptoms by reducing or eliminating the intensity of your clenching and grinding by providing a mouth-guard for you to wear while you sleep. By doing so, we are effectively minimising the source of pain and the forces wearing down your teeth.