A lot of things that cause dental issues are readily acknowledged by ourselves. We may be aware, for instance,\u00a0 that we eat too much sugar and that there is a risk of tooth decay, but many of us still do it for the instant gratification and that ‘sweetness factor’. There are other things in our control too which we might ignore, perhaps prepared to pay the price or simply putting our head in the sand and ignoring any future problems. This isn\u2019t always the case though and one issue that we have limited control over is bruxism, or teeth grinding.<\/p>\n
While we may have seen this in movies or cartoons when someone is really angry, the reality for most people is that it happens when they are asleep. This might be due, perhaps, to our ability to keep many issues hidden or under control during the day, especially in front of others. This would tie in with the theory that grinding our teeth when we sleep is a type of \u2018pressure release valve\u2019 and allows us to get our anger and frustrations out while we are asleep. Most research does suggest that bruxism is stress related so this theory is quite feasible. Whatever the causes though, the fact remains that it is very hard to control and can do real damage to our teeth.<\/p>\n
The following are some problems that might occur if you are doing this, and, if you notice any of these signs, even if you are not immediately aware, you should contact the Cygnet Dental Practice so that a dentist can take a look and see what we can do to help.<\/p>\n
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Except for a significant accident perhaps, our teeth don\u2019t usually break badly initially, but start to wear and weaken. This often initially results in small chips coming off from the tooth or cracks appearing on the surface. While some of these might be largely cosmetic, they can also expose the dentin beneath the enamel surface and greatly increase the risk of problems like tooth decay.<\/p>\n
This is most likely to happen if our teeth are already weakened, such as above, or where the grinding is so forceful that our teeth simply break under the pressure. While relatively rare, this can happen quite suddenly but is also why you should see one of our lovely Wickford dentists<\/a> as soon as you notice any of the more \u2018minor\u2019 issues mentioned in this blog.<\/p>\n This is one of the more common problems that you might notice if you grind your teeth. As they grind against each other, the enamel surface can gradually wear down. Not only will this increase the risk of decay, but you are likely to notice that your teeth become more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. This should be taken as a warning sign that all is not well and you should arrange to have your teeth checked as soon as possible.<\/p>\nTooth enamel erosion<\/h3>\n
Damaged fillings<\/h3>\n