23 Mar What’s the Harm in Grinding Your Teeth?
People tend to grind their teeth when they’re stressed out, but some don’t even realize that they do this because it happens while they’re asleep. Unfortunately, teeth grinding, or bruxism, can damage your enamel, reduce your chewing surface area, and cause problems with your speech. Here’s a quick look at the true harm in grinding your teeth.
Damaged Enamel
Enamel makes up the outer layer of each of your teeth, and it preserves your crowns from cavities, otherwise known as tooth decay. If you grind your teeth, your enamel will wear away and leave you more susceptible to a variety of oral health problems. You might grind your teeth in your sleep, and in this case, there’s a chance you won’t realize that you grind your teeth at all until you see your dentist. Talk to your dentist if you experience headaches or toothaches for no apparent reason, because you might be suffering from nighttime bruxism.
Smaller Surface Area
You might just grind your teeth occasionally while you’re stressed out, but you might grind your teeth throughout the night without knowing it. Severe tooth grinding can wear out your enamel to such an extreme degree that the surface area of your teeth shrinks. In addition to changing the appearance of your smile, this will make it more difficult to chew your food the way you normally would.
Speech Problems
When you grind your teeth so much that you start to wear them down, you may suffer from speech problems in addition to having issues chewing your food. If you grind your teeth or suspect that you might in your sleep, ask your dentist to fit you with a mouth guard to alleviate the damage.
If you grind your teeth, don’t wait to talk to a dentist in Tucson like John Carson, DDS so you can protect your oral health. Check out our website or call the offices at (520) 514-7203 to see what we can do for your teeth.