Teeth Grinding

Normal chewing results in brief intervals of contact between teeth. Under normal circumstances, your teeth should only contact for about 5 minutes each day. Slight amounts of wear over years of use is common.

Sometimes teeth develop a flattened, worn appearance. X-rays may show unusually thin layers of enamel as if sandpaper has been drawn across the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Daily chewing shouldn't erode the enamel so much.

You Don't Even Know

Some patients develop a subconscious habit of grinding their teeth, either during the day or at night. In many cases, the abrasive action occurs only during sleep, and for only a few seconds at a time. If you wake up with a sore jaw or a morning headache, chances are you are grinding your teeth during the night. In some patients, enlarged jaw muscles develop on the sides of the face from this nighttime grinding. These muscles are, ounce for ounce, the strongest in the body, which means they can do a lot of unnecessary damage.

The unusual activity not only wears down teeth and strains the overworked muscles, but compressive forces can also damage the complex jaw joints on one or both sides. Damage to the joints may lead to arthritic changes, chronic pain, and popping or clicking. Once these changes settle in, reversing their condition may become impossible.

Avoiding Irreversible Damage

If you're waking up with a sore jaw or headaches, or you've noticed chips or flattening of your teeth, a consult with our doctors is recommended. The sooner the problem receives attention, the less damage there will be. Often a custom-fit night guard will eliminate the symptoms while protecting your precious enamel.

Daytime habits of clenching or grinding deserve attention too. Our doctors will analyze your bite and make sure they're moving against each other properly when you chew. Regardless of the cause, reducing the strain on the jaw and your teeth as quickly as possible can save you money and time spent in the dental chair.

TMJ PAIN OR TMD ISSUES

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) can be caused by a group of more than 30 conditions that can cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles around the jaw that control the movement of the jaw. Some of the symptoms include:

  • Headache around the temple

  • Pain around the jaw, ear and temple

  • Clicking, popping or grinding noises when moving the jaw

  • Difficulty opening the mouth or limited mouth opening

  • Jaw locking when opening the mouth

Dr Sangita Venkatesh has invested a lot of time and resources to help her patients that suffer from these TMJ pain or TMD. She has been through extensive training on this subject from one of the experts in this field and our office is well equipped with technology that helps her diagnose and treat these serious issues with confidence and ease. She is a certified Gneuro Muscular dentist.

TMD Orthotic

We custom make splints and orthotics to address your specific problems to alleviate pain. We use state of the art technology and high quality materials to provide a solution that you will love. Schedule an appointment or call us so we can help you immediately.

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