Kingston upon Thames dentists help stop bruxism by getting to the bottom of what is causing it

Grinding your teeth together is probably something that most people don’t do in their every day lives. It doesn’t feel pleasant and it has bad consequences for the health of teeth. But what about when you are sleeping? The problem is that you might not even know that you are doing it. This is what dentists call bruxism and it can cause complications when it comes to your oral health.

Medical professionals reckon that there are two primary causes of nocturnal teeth grinding. Stress can manifest itself in all sorts of different ways in different patients, including the grinding of teeth during sleep. The second major cause is that teeth are not aligned properly and therefore the patient grinds them together while sleeping.

Kingston upon Thames dentists cannot do much to help with the stress of their patients; that is a matter for health professionals of a different stripe. But in cases where bruxism is being caused by misaligned teeth then dentists can advise patients to undergo some sort of tooth straightening treatment. It is essential that bruxism is stopped wherever it occurs because it can have serious implications for the health of sufferers’ mouths.

The substance called enamel guards our teeth and it is generally very hard wearing. However it is threatened not only plaque but also by teeth grinding. Once the enamel is worn away then plaque has an even better chance of attacking the fundamental structure of teeth and causing cavities. For any patient who suffers from bruxism it will be advisable to wear a mouth guard during sleep. These devices take the impact off the grinding and protect the enamel.