Do you wake up in the morning with pain in the jaw muscles and you find you suffer from headaches or earaches? Do you have trouble opening and closing your mouth and you feel a clicking or popping of the jaw? Perhaps your partner complains of the sound of you grinding your teeth when you are asleep and you wake up with tightness in your jaw.
You could be suffering from bruxism, otherwise know as jaw clenching or teeth grinding. You may have sleep bruxism and be unaware of it until pain and dental complications develop. It's important to know the signs and symptoms of bruxism and to seek assistance.
Altona Gate Dental can help make a proper diagnosis by taking a complete medical and dental history, conducting a clinical examination and taking appropriate X-rays.
Some of the symptoms of bruxism may include:
Teeth grinding or clenching, which may be loud enough to wake up your partner
Teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose
Worn tooth enamel, exposing deeper layers of your tooth
Increased tooth pain or sensitivity
Tired or tight jaw muscles, or a locked jaw that won't open or close completely
Jaw, neck or face pain or soreness
Clicking or popping in the ear or joint
Pain that feels like an earache, though it's actually not a problem with your ear
Dull headache starting in the temples
Sleep disruption
You may benefit from an Altona Gate Dental Occlusal Splint. An occlusal splint is used to prevent clenching or grinding. They provide a cushion between your upper and lower teeth that helps to protect them from the harmful effects of Bruxism or TMJ disorder.