Everything You Really Need To Know About Teeth Grinding
There are many influences that can impact on the chances of dental implant success. Failing to look after your teeth properly, smoking, bad dietary habits, improper or incorrect placement and even a poor lifestyle can all have a say on whether your dental implants in Richmond are going to last. However one of the most problematic is bruxism.
More commonly known as teeth grinding it’s something that many people do. The trouble is that because it often occurs at night when the person’s asleep, they might not even realise they’re doing it. When a person grinds their teeth it causes undue wear and tear on the tooth leading to sensitive and worn teeth. Clearly this isn’t good news to anyone with one or more dental implants.
So why do some people grind their teeth?
There is still much research going on as to the reasoning behind it but one of the main factors is believed to be stress. People tend to deal with stress in different way and in some it comes out in the form of bruxism. The problem is that even given the fact that dental implants are super-strong, the continual pressure of teeth on teeth can weaken implants immensely, often causing the fracturing or cracking of the crown or the implant root. Another cause of bruxism may well be an overbite, or under bite problem. When the teeth aren’t aligned properly (as in an over or under bite) it can force the tooth when chewing or biting down to take excess pressure where it isn’t designed to be. The best way to explain this is to imagine an egg. If you stand an egg up on it’s end then it is possible to exert far more pressure upon it without it breaking. However if you turn it over on it’s side, then the surface area is much weaker and will therefore easily shatter with less pressure. The same can happen with your teeth in an over or under bite situation.
So what’s the solution?
Well firstly the good news is that bruxism can be cured, but the bad news is that when considering a dental implant in Richmond, the issue understandably needs to be dealt with first. If it’s a stress related problem, then the dentist may recommend visiting a trained therapist who should be able to help. If it’s a bite issue, then a patient might need orthodontic correction or if it’s very pronounced, then jaw surgery might be the only option. Finally the dentist may suggest wearing night guards so if you do suffer with stress related bruxism and you happen to grind your teeth, then the mouth guards are in place to protect your teeth.
If you do suffer with bruxism, then you need to speak to your dentist especially if you’re considering dental implants in Richmond. Call Sheen Dental us on 020 8876 5277 or visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk where you can book yourself a free consultation to discuss your options. Make the call today and don’t let your grinding teeth stop you from having that perfect smile.