You don’t understand why this keeps happening.
You go to bed feeling fine, but you wake up in pain. Your jaw hurts, and your face feels sore. Some mornings you even wake up with a headache.
Many of those mornings, you skip breakfast because you’ve learned that chewing on almost anything just seems to make the pain worse.
You wish you knew what was causing it so you could make it stop.
If any of this sounds familiar, then you may need to make an appointment with a dentist. And if you live in or near West Chester, PA, that dentist should be K.C. Sykora, DDS.
You may have a problem with bruxism.
What Is Bruxism?
A good definition of bruxism is “the involuntary or habitual grinding of the teeth, typically during sleep.”
This would help to explain your jaw and face pain as well as your frequent morning headaches. Even if you didn’t realize this could be the cause of your problem, you may have noticed how it has disrupted your life.
Bruxism is one of the common cause of TMJ disorders. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. These are the joints on either side of your face where your lower jaw connects to your skull.
This allows you to open and close your mouth, which we all would agree is an important part of our daily lives.
The reason bruxism contributes to TMJ problems is the added pressure you place on your joint and the muscles tissues that surround it. If you think about, you could be grinding your teeth in your sleep for hours at a time. That’s a lot of added stress and strain on this joint.
No wonder your face hurts in the morning.
These are just a few of the symptoms of teeth grinding. In addition to your jaw pain and headaches, you may have earaches, and those pains in your face can spread to your neck and shoulders as well.
As we suggested above, you may have trouble chewing, or you may feel sore during or after a meal. Some people also have difficulty completely opening or closing their mouths. At times, it may feel as though your jaw is stuck, or you may notice popping or clicking when you open or close your mouth.
Dental Issues With Bruxism
We would be remiss if we didn’t point out the obvious — teeth grinding is bad for your teeth.
The outer layers of your teeth are covered with enamel. This is the hardest substance on the human body. It also serves as the protective layer of your teeth.
You can wear away the enamel when by grinding your teeth together. This may expose the layer of dentin, a softer material below your enamel. This can cause increased tooth sensitivity, and it may increase your risk of tooth decay.
Persistent bruxism can enlarge the muscles in your face (just like working out can make your other muscles bigger). In rare instances, those muscles can interfere with opening of your salivary glands, which could lead to dry mouth. For what it’s worth, dry mouth can increase your risk of gum disease and other oral health issues.
Treating Bruxism
If you have noticed any of the symptoms mentioned above, we would encourage you to visit our office for an examination. We will ask about the symptoms your have been having, and we will check your teeth for signs of wear and tear.
One way we can help is be creating a night guard. This is a mouthguard, similar to the ones athletes wear while playing sports.
A laboratory can create a custom-fitted mouthguard for you to wear while you sleep. It may take a little time to adjust to it, but it will become more comfortable with time.
Wearing this will prevent you from grinding your teeth together, which will save your teeth from long-term damage.
There are things you can do at home to help as well. Bruxism is often a means of coping with stress. Finding new ways to relax can help. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and exercise are good stress relievers for many people.
If your jaw is particularly sore, you may want to stick with softer foods for a few days to make eating easier, too.
It’s Time To Feel Better
We know how disruptive bruxism can be. That’s why the staff at the office of K.C. Sykora, DDS, wants to help if you have been grinding your teeth together.
You can call 610-314-7534 or use our online contact form to make an appointment at our dentist office in West Chester, PA.