Tooth Wear and Grinding
Company: Dentistry by Dr. Arida
Location: 131 S. Euclid Ave, Westfield NJ
Phone: 908-654-6262
Hello Doctor! What’s on your radar this month?
People want to keep their teeth. People are living much longer than they did 70 years ago. For people to keep their teeth they need to protect them from wear and tear from grinding.
Give us the background?
Most people grind their teeth while they are sleeping and don’t even know it. It can be a very subtle thing. You may wake up in the morning feeling like your jaw muscles are tight or sore, you have a “click” in your jaw joint (TMJ) or you may wake up with a headache. You may not have any symptoms but in most cases, you are grinding or clenching while you sleep.
What’s the solution?
The best and simplest remedy is to wear some kind of mouth guard (some are thick, some are thin). It’s a kind of mouthpiece that covers one arch of teeth and keeps a layer of plastic between your teeth while you sleep to protect the teeth from wear and tear.
Any other issues should our readers know? What do you recommend?
Your jaw can generate tremendous force while grinding and there can be a lot of damage put on your teeth resulting in wear, cracks and even tooth loss in extreme cases. There are times when this kind of grinding can cause jaw joint damage and pain classically called TMJ disease. TMJ is short for Temporomandibular Joint-the joint near your ear. There are doctors that focus on TMJ disease exclusively as it is an area of certain training and expertise. Every patient should be routinely evaluated for tooth wear and TMJ disease at regular dental checkups to allow us to keep our teeth in good condition for our entire life.
Dentistry by Dr. Arida is widely considered to be one the best dentists in the local area and we are lucky to have his columns to learn more about dental health. For more information, please visit www.drarida.com
or call 908-654-6262. The practice is located conveniently at 131 S. Euclid Ave, Westfield NJ. Check him out on social media: www.facebook. com/kennethwaridadds;
@dr_arida on Instagram