Effective Teeth Grinding Treatments
Custom-made mouthguards and injectable muscle relaxants provide effective solutions to save your teeth from damage caused by teeth grinding or clenching. You can book an examination online now with Michael or Amanda to protect your teeth.
Dentist Reviews
"I recently visited Thompson Dental for some "Facial Injectables" with Michael. He made me feel very relaxed about the procedure which was fairly painless and over quickly."
Teeth Grinding Solutions Save Teeth
Teeth grinding, medically known as bruxism, is repetitive grinding and teeth clenching. Over time this habit can damage your teeth, cause tooth hypersensitivity and pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and jaw muscles which leads to temporal headaches and poor sleep. Untreated bruxism will slowly grind down the enamel from your teeth, wearing down the top of the teeth, often causing chips or cracks too. Once the enamel has been worn down, your teeth are at a higher risk of tooth decay and tooth loss. Advanced damage will require dental restorations to correct your oral function and improve your facial aesthetics.
Types of Teeth Grinding
Nocturnal Bruxism
Nocturnal bruxism is a condition in which you unknowingly gnash, or grind your teeth during sleep.
Wakeful Bruxism
Wakeful bruxism is unconscious and involuntary jaw clenching when awake.
Consequences of Grinding
- Damaged or worn down teeth
- Headaches
- Pain in the TMJ
- Sensitive teeth
- Sleep disturbances
- Stiff tender jaw muscles
Bruxism Treatments that Protect your Teeth
Grinding Mouthguards
The best mouthguards are custom-made as they are light and moulded to your mouth for the most comfortable fit. They even out the pressure across your jaw and create a physical barrier between your upper and lower teeth to protect them from further damage. If you grind your teeth, wearing a comfortable mouth guard at night promotes healthy sleep patterns while preventing tooth damage, reducing jaw pain, headaches and snoring, and ultimately saves you from dental restorations in the long run.
Nerve blocking injectables
Injectable muscle relaxants have proven to be an ideal treatment option for targeting and treating excessive muscle activity and spasticity caused by grinding. These are the same injectables dermatologies use to relax facial muscles to reduce wrinkles. Many other treatments such as anti-inflammatory medications do not address the source of the problem. Although dental devices can successfully protect teeth from damage at night, they are not as effective at stopping the painful side effects of teeth grinding. IMRs can provide tremendous relief from jaw soreness, headaches, wear and tear on your teeth and other unpleasant problems associated with bruxism.
The IMR procedure
Nocturnal (nighttime) and diurnal (daytime) bruxism is effectively treated by injecting small doses of IMR directly into the large muscle that moves the jaw, known as the masseter muscle. These injectables inactivate the muscle enough to stop involuntary grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw, significantly reducing wear and tear on the teeth. Stress to the TMJ and headaches are reduced or eliminated as well. Voluntary movements, such as chewing and facial expressions, are not affected at all by the treatment.
Teeth Grinding FAQs
The main cause of bruxism has not yet been determined but is recognised to involve multiple factors, and professionals believe nocturnal bruxism has different causes from wakeful bruxism. Some of thee known factors include stress, anxiety, certain drugs and medications, bite abnormalities from missing or crooked teeth or sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea. Many wakeful teeth grinders clench their teeth when performing a physical task.
Although IMR are not a cure for bruxism, they can effectively control the uncomfortable symptoms better than a night-guard for some patients for a few months at a time. Additionally, it is a far superior approach for wakeful grinding as it would be very uncomfortable to wear a mouth guard for clenching during the day.
IMRs used for treating bruxism typically lasts for three to four months.
Custom-made mouthguards provide a more comfortable fit than the generic ones you can buy off the shelf. They are more effective for preventing tooth damage, headaches and snoring. Additionally and they can reduce jaw pain considerably, albeit not to the same degree that injectable muscle relaxants can.