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Some habits, like tapping your foot or drumming on your desk with a pen, can be annoying, but they’re just habits. Others, like grinding your teeth or chewing on that pen instead of drumming with it, can actually be hazardous, especially to your oral health. For example, grinding your teeth too much is often more than it seems, and can indicate a potentially serious issue with your bite function. Or, it could mean that you’re under an undue amount of stress, which is manifesting itself in a way that could end up damaging your teeth.

What to Know About Bruxism

When you grind your teeth more often than a habit would warrant, it’s often a dental condition known as bruxism. For patients with bruxism, the grinding may be obvious during the day, but the bigger problem is the uncontrollable grinding that occurs while they sleep. When you’re asleep, you have no control over your bite pressure, which can equate to hundreds of pounds per square inch of force. This type of pressure and friction can quickly wear down your tooth structure and lead to cracked, fractured, broken, or misaligned teeth.

Why You Should Tell Your Dentist

If you notice that you grind your teeth too much, then you should tell your dentist during your next checkup appointment so he can precisely diagnose your condition. If treated early, bruxism might be stopped before it significantly damages your teeth. If you hesitate, then your dentist will be able to tell you have bruxism once your teeth begin to show signs of damage. However, by then, protecting your smile will mean restoring the damaged tooth structure in addition to addressing your bruxism.

Find Out if You Have Bruxism and How to Treat It

If you grind your teeth more often than most people you know, then there might be more to it than just a nervous habit. It might also pose a serious threat to your oral health, if left untreated. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA, today at (319) 364-7108. We also welcome patients from Mount Vernon, Iowa City, Hiawatha, and all nearby communities.