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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Grind No More

Fans of the classic cartoon series The Simpsons may remember the third season episode “Colonel Homer,” where Marge angrily grinds her teeth at hearing Lurleen Lumpkin’s new song that suggested her feelings for Homer. However, grinding the teeth, called bruxism, can be dangerous in real life. It may even lead to certain health complications that would require visiting a dental office in your community.
Causes
Teeth grinding is often caused by stress, and it also occurs during sleep. You may wake up with symptoms such as a sore jaw, headaches, and even wounds on the inside of the cheeks if the teeth hit the inner lining. Chronic grinding could wear down the teeth enamel and raise the teeth’s sensitivity while drinking, eating or brushing.
Treatment
There are ways to stop bruxism. One of the things your dentist may recommend is wearing a mouth guard before you sleep. When teeth grinding occurs, the teeth will simply move against the mouth guard’s material without wearing it down. Your dentist may also suggest that you reduce or stop consuming soda, coffee, and chocolates. Not only can excessive consumption of these foods and drinks damage your teeth’s enamel, but their caffeine content may also induce bruxism.

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