Being a General and Cosmetic Dentist in Los Angeles, I treat all types of people. Young, old, tall, short, happy, sad...But one thing that is pretty common with all these different types of people: Stress! In comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. Some people are stressed when they have deadlines to meet, some stressed when moving, some stressed when the DWP bill comes, some even stressed when they come see me.
Stress can have many manifestations in your oral health. The most common symptom of stress I see are generalized wear on teeth. Blunted edges, Dentin exposure and fracture lines present to varying degrees. Another sign is muscle tenderness or pain. Part of performing an extra oral examination is to palpate the muscles in your neck, mouth and head. There should not be any pain during this part of the exam. Lastly, the Temporomandibular joint, or TMJ can have issues from grinding.
So what are ways to prevent bruxing or grinding down your teeth? Well, the first way is to remove whatever is causing you stress. Take a vacation, do yoga, meditate...anything that works for you. Another way to protect your teeth, jaw and muscles, is through an oral appliance, or nightguard. These are typically worn at night. We make many different types of appliances depending on your symptoms and habits.
Night Bruxism is very common and can do a lot of damage to your teeth. Our motto at The Dental Office Tarzana is "Prevention is the key!" If you feel like you might be grinding, don't hesitate to come in. Not only will we do a full examination, but with our Intra-oral cameras and big screen TV's, we can show you what is going on inside your mouth.
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