The reasons that people clench or grind their teeth are as unique as they are. When the problem occurs during daytime hours, stress, anxiety, and attempting to concentrate deeply are the most common triggers. Teeth grinding and clenching that occurs at night is often the result of sleep apnea, acid reflux, or unconscious stress. Certain medications, particularly those in the anti-depressant family, can also contribute to the problem.
Because teeth grinding often occurs during sleep, it can be difficult to pinpoint bruxism as the cause. Here are some typical symptoms that can occur due to clenching and grinding teeth:
Maybe you think these symptoms do not sound serious, but they can cause significant issues if you continue to ignore them. For example, you could break a tooth, increase the likelihood of needing teeth filled due to tooth decay, or develop temporomandibular joint disorder. Fortunately, bruxism is usually an easy problem for us at Ammons Dental to treat.
Our dental team always tries the least invasive treatment method first. For example, we may refer you to a behavior modification specialist who can help you identify stress triggers. Once you have a better understanding of what is causing you to clench your teeth, you and the specialist work together to come up with more appropriate methods for handling or eliminating the stress triggers from your life.
If these methods fail to bring relief or just do not seem right for you, another possibility is to refer you to your regular doctor to receive a prescription for muscle relaxers. Dr. Ammons will review your current list of medications to determine if any of them potentially increase the risk of teeth grinding.
Botox injections are another possibility for you to consider. These injections temporarily paralyze the muscles responsible for teeth grinding without changing the appearance of your face or the function of its muscles.
Are you ready to be free of bruxism for good? Your first step is to contact our dental practice in Camden, Charleston, James Island, or Summerville to request an initial exam and consultation. Dr. Ammons will work with you and will recommend one or more treatment options after confirming that you do indeed have bruxism.