If your teeth have a worn appearance, it's possible you have a habit you're not even aware of: clenching or grinding your teeth. Also called “bruxism,” this destructive action causes your top and bottom teeth to come together or scrape past each other with a force that's many times what is normal for biting and chewing.
So what's normal? This can be expressed in terms of pounds. An adult usually exerts a force of 13-23 pounds to bite or chew food. But we have the potential to generate as much as 230 pounds of force, or 10 times what's normal. A “parafunctional” force of this magnitude applied repeatedly is bound to stress your teeth and other areas of your oral system. Besides wearing away the enamel of your teeth — and maybe even some of the softer dentin layer underneath — you may experience muscle spasms or pain in your jaw joints. Serious cases of wear can lead to “bite collapse” in which your face actually changes shape as your cheeks and lips lose support. This can make you look prematurely aged.
What can be done? To prevent further wear, we can fabricate for you a thin, plastic mouthguard that will protect your teeth at night or during times of intense stress. We can also recommend ways to temporarily relieve the discomfort that your grinding/clenching habits can cause. Heat and/or anti-inflammatory medication, for example, can be helpful.
If your tooth wear is minor (raggedness along the biting edge of a tooth or teeth) you may not need any restorative work. However, if tooth wear has already caused changes to your teeth and bite that you find aesthetically or functionally unacceptable, we can restore lost tooth structure in a variety of ways. Veneers and crowns are two examples.
If you have any questions about tooth wear or grinding habits, please contact us today to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “How And Why Teeth Wear.”
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- 2018
- November (6)
- 2.6 Million Fans 'Like' Justin Bieber's Chipped Tooth
- Practice Caution with Energy or Sports Drinks to Protect Your Enamel
- This November, Become a Non-Smoker
- Take a Look into Your Future with a Trial Smile
- Dental Injury Is Just a Temporary Setback for Basketball Star Kevin Love
- Moderate Your Child's Juice Drinking to Lower Tooth Decay Risk
- October (6)
- Even with Mercury, Dental Amalgam is a Safe Choice for Tooth Filling
- Guide Your Older Children or Teens through These 3 Oral Health Areas
- Sofia Vergara: 'Obsessed' With Oral Hygiene
- Follow These Common Sense Steps When Your Child has a Toothache
- Keep on Course during the 3 Phases of a Smile Makeover
- Do you need Simple Tooth Removal or Surgery? It Depends on a few Factors
- September (6)
- Steely Dan Founder's Death Highlights Importance of Early Cancer Detection
- Fixed or Removable: Deciding Which Implant-Supported Bridge is Best for You
- Chewing Tobacco is Just as Addictive and Dangerous as Smoking
- Veneers may Offer a Less Invasive Way to Transform Your Smile
- Fan of Superhero Film Black Panther Breaks Steel Wire...with Her Mouth!
- It's National Gum Care Month - Take Care of Your Gums
- August (6)
- Answers to Common Questions About Root Canal Treatments
- Advances in Dental Health that may be Waiting for us Just around the Corner
- Margot Robbie Knows: A Great Smile Is Worth Protecting
- Sleep Apnea Might be Robbing you of More than a Good Night's Sleep
- Don't Fear the Root Canal - it Could Save Your Tooth
- 'Simple' Tooth Extractions are a Common Dental Procedure
- July (7)
- A Different Kind of "Chip Shot" for Pro Golfer Danielle Kang
- Ready for Summer Camp? Be Sure to Pack a Toothbrush
- What Happens in a Root Canal Treatment and How it Can Save Your Tooth
- Take Steps to Treat Chronic Mouth Breathing as Early as Possible
- Julianne Hough Shares a Video - and a Song - After Wisdom Teeth Come Out
- Get Your Vitamins the Natural Way for Optimum Dental Health
- Replacing a Back Tooth May Help You Avoid Future Dental Problems
- June (6)
- Don't Forget Hidden Fluoride Sources Your Family Could be Ingesting
- Charlize Theron Back in Action After Dental Surgery
- Tips to Brighten Your Summer Smile
- Lasers Beginning to Change Some Root Canal Procedures
- Get a Look at Your Future Makeover Look Now with a 'Trial Smile'
- How Kathy Bates Retains Her Movie-Star Smile
- March (5)
- Instill Good Dental Habits in Your Child as Early as Possible
- In Today's NFL, Oral Hygiene Takes Center Stage
- Lasers Adding New Precision and Efficiency to Root Canal Treatments
- A Root Canal Treatment may be Your Best Chance to Save a Tooth
- Not Enough Bone Support for an Implant? Here's a Way to Rebuild It
- 2017
- May (5)
- Clean Your Implants Just Like you Clean Your Natural Teeth
- Tooth-Colored Fillings Provide a Viable Alternative to Dental Amalgam
- No- or Minimal-Prep Veneers Reduce Permanent Alterations to Your Teeth
- Life Is Sometimes a Grind for Brooke Shields
- Only a Dental Exam can Identify the Root Cause of Your Tooth Pain
- April (5)
- The Top 3 Oral Problems in America - and What You Should Do About Them
- See Your new Look Before Dental Work with a 'Trial Smile'
- Fifth Harmony's Camila Cabello Chips a Tooth, but Concert Still "Worth It"
- Keep the Space between an Implant-Supported Bridge and the Gums Clean
- Don't Let Smoking Increase Your Chances of Implant Failure
- February (5)
- Try Conservative Measures to Treating TMD Before More Aggressive Options
- New Crowns Give Both Durability and Beauty to Problem Teeth
- Actress Emma Stone Reveals How Thumb Sucking Affected Her Teeth
- A Root Canal Can Stop Tooth Decay and Save Your Tooth
- Get an Early Start Treating Root Resorption Before it's Too Late
- 2016
- June (5)
- Getting the Full Picture of Your Decay Risk Leads to Better Prevention Strategies
- Consider a Removable Partial Denture as a Temporary Solution After Tooth Loss
- Not all Crowns are Alike - or Cost the Same
- Dr. Travis Stork: If Only I'd Worn A Mouthguard!
- Create a Strategy to Deal with Dental Problems to Avoid Future Expenses
- March (5)
- Though not Always Seen, it's Still Important to Replace a Missing Back Tooth
- Keep an Eye on your Gums to Catch Disease Early
- Jimmy Fallon Can’t Catch a Break - Except in His Tooth
- Treating Small Enamel Cracks Could Help you Avoid a Dangerous Tooth Fracture
- Although a Global Problem, Tooth Decay can be Prevented
- 2015
- December (5)
- Gaining a New Attractive Smile is More than Achievable
- Master Illusionist Benefits from the Magic of Orthodontics
- Daily Hygiene Tasks Performed Properly Help Ensure Good Oral Health
- Regenerating Lost Bone Can Make Dental Implants a Reality
- Some Patients Might Need Antibiotics Before Routine Dental Work
- October (7)
- Tom Hanks' Abscessed Tooth Gets Cast Away
- 12 Reasons Why Sweet Potato Is So Good For You
- Removing Wisdom Teeth now may Prevent Dental Problems Later
- Don't Panic! Take Methodical Approach to Help Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking
- NO INSURANCE...NO WORRIES!
- Limit Acidic Beverages to Protect Your Child's Tooth Enamel from Erosion
- New Front Teeth for a Teenaged David Duchovny
- 2014
- August (6)
- How Dentistry Saved Kathy Ireland's Smile
- Bad Breath Might be a Sign of a More Serious Oral Condition
- 7 Habits to Avoid While Brushing Your Teeth
- Dental Hygienist - Your Partner in Preventing Disease and Maintaining Oral Health
- Are Cavities Contagious?
- Fitness Expert Jillian Michaels Helps Kick Sleep Apnea
- 2013
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- 2011
- December (5)
- Stopping Addiction to Sugar: Willpower or Genetics? - tips from Berger Dental Bites
- SMILE FOR YOUR HEALTH - tips from Berger Dental Bites
- HEALTHY GUMS COULD PREVENT A HEART ATTACK - tips from Berger Dental Bites
- DENTAL INSURANCE - tips from Berger Dental Bites
- FIGHT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN - tips from Berger Dental Bites
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