A beautiful smile can work wonders for your confidence. But similar to many other parts of your looks, your smile also needs some care and attention to achieve its best form. Besides cosmetic treatments, this also calls for addressing medical concerns that may affect the appearance of your smile.
Bruxism is one such dental condition that can affect the look of your teeth and cast a shadow over your perfect smile. Often called teeth grinding, bruxism can stem from a variety of causes. But what exactly is bruxism? How do you spot it? And what treatment options can you explore?
To help you answer these questions, here is an overview of bruxism and ways to address it.
What is bruxism?
Bruxism is a medical and dental condition that involves involuntary teeth grinding or clenching. If you have bruxism, you may catch yourself grinding or clenching your teeth without even being aware of the action. You may do it subconsciously while awake or asleep.
While bruxism can seem like a harmless condition, it can affect your teeth, cause problems with your jaw, make way for headaches, and lead to other health problems. If you understand the connection between oral health and overall well-being, these effects may not be difficult to comprehend for you.
What Are the Symptoms of Bruxism?
Bruxism may cause symptoms, including but not limited to:
- Involuntary teeth grinding or clenching
- Damaged, chipped, cracked, or loosened teeth
- Pain in the teeth
- Sensitivity in the teeth
- Pain and mobility issues in the jaw
- Pain in the face
- Headaches
- Sleep problems
How is bruxism treated?
The treatment for bruxism depends on the underlying cause of the condition. Typically, these treatments range from wearing a 3D-printed night guard to undergoing therapies for sleep-related issues.
It is because if you have awake bruxism, the treatment is more focused on changing your behavior, managing your stress levels, and controlling how you rest your mouth and jaw. This could include having active sessions through an online therapy platform.
In contrast, if you have sleep bruxism, you get treatments for your sleeping disorder that might be causing you to grind your teeth in your sleep. This is also where the approach to wearing protective dental equipment comes into play. Your physicians might also use modern tech tools in dentistry to help.
How is bruxism diagnosed?
Bruxism is diagnosed by a qualified dentist who performs a thorough checkup of your mouth and teeth. After understanding your concerns and studying your symptoms, your dentist may start observing you for bruxism.
The actual diagnosis may take a few weeks. But once it is confirmed, your doctor may offer dental treatments or refer you to sleep medicine experts.
Since you typically need a physical visit for bruxism treatment, the initial treatment is different from reaching out to a doctor through an online physician service. However, once you get a treatment plan, you might be able to benefit from telemedicine through virtual visits to your physicians.
What Causes Bruxism?
The cause of bruxism can vary across patients. For some, awake bruxism can stem from stress, anxiety, or even subconscious muscle movement. For others, sleep bruxism may result from sleep-related issues.
After understanding the cause of your bruxism, your dentist can guide you along a proper treatment path for the condition. This can be similar to following family health and wellness tips.
Is Bruxism Treatment Expensive?
While it can take some time to diagnose bruxism, treatment is not expensive after the diagnosis itself. Whether you need to wear a nightguard, go to a therapist, or benefit from sleep medicine, you can find affordable options to help.
Some providers also provide bruxism treatment coverage through a dental insurance plan. But here’s the catch: Many insurance providers still put a lot of stipulations in their plans, which requires you to be highly vigilant while shopping around for these options.
Bruxism can be a stressful condition. But with the right information and medical experts, you can comfortably manage it. This gives you hope for living with bruxism without having to see your smile and health affected by it.