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Do you wake up with a dull headache or a sore jaw? Many people clench or grind their teeth at night without even realizing it. This involuntary habit, known as bruxism, can damage your health long before you notice changes in your mirror.
At The Center for High Tech Dentistry in New York, New York, Dr. Kaveh Abedini and Dr. Simon W. Rosenberg help patients identify signs of bruxism, protect their teeth, relieve jaw discomfort, and determine whether other dental or medical factors may be involved. Our team provides advanced care to protect your teeth and restore your comfort.
What is sleep bruxism?
Sleep bruxism is more than just a bad habit. According to the Mayo Clinic (2024), it is classified as a sleep-related movement disorder that frequently occurs alongside other issues like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
When you grind your teeth, the constant pressure can lead to serious complications. Understanding how this condition affects your body is the first step toward finding relief.
3 surprising ways teeth grinding damages your health
Teeth grinding can affect your teeth, jaw, head, and overall comfort, especially when it happens often or goes untreated, including chronic morning headaches, permanent enamel wear, and structural tooth damage. Here is how this nightly habit impacts your well-being.
Chronic headaches and ear pain
The intense jaw pressure from unconscious and repeated clenching can strain your jaw muscles and may contribute to morning headaches, facial pain, earache-like discomfort, or tinnitus, a ringing in your ears.
Enamel erosion and sensitivity
Continuous grinding wears away the protective outer layer of your teeth. Over time, this erosion exposes the sensitive inner layers, leading to extreme temperature sensitivity and pain.
Cracked teeth and structural damage
The heavy forces of bruxism can eventually cause your teeth to crack, loosen, or even fall out. When severe damage occurs, you may need restorative treatments like crowns and bridges or even full mouth rehabilitation to restore your bite.
How we treat teeth grinding
We offer customized solutions to protect your smile and relieve your discomfort. While a nightguard is a common tool, it only acts as a physical barrier to protect your teeth rather than curing the habit itself.
For patients who need additional relief, we can use advanced treatments to relax the jaw muscles. We offer Botox® injections directly into the masseter muscles, which safely reduces the strength of your jaw contractions. This treatment helps prevent grinding while keeping your normal chewing and speaking functions completely natural.
You don't have to live with the painful side effects of teeth grinding. Our experienced team is here to help you protect your teeth and find lasting relief. Please contact our office today to schedule an appointment.