Modern living in Beverly Hills includes lots of stress, especially in the past few years. One sign of this stress that is seen more frequently is a condition called bruxism, or teeth grinding. Patients clench or grind their teeth, usually at night during sleep, so they don’t even realize they are doing it until a tooth breaks or severe daily headaches cause them to seek treatment from a neuromuscular dentist.
Normally 10 to 15 percent of American’s grind their teeth but during the economic downturn neuromuscular dentists saw an increase in stress-related grinding and the headaches that go along with it. Traditionally, grinding appears in middle-age and women have typically been the ones seeking treatment. Today however, neuromuscular dentists are reporting an increase in male patients complaining of facial pain, headache and tinnitus.
The damage caused by untreated bruxism can be severe. Normal chewing puts about 68 pounds of pressure per square inch on the back teeth, grinding unconsciously at night can cause up to 900 pounds of pressure. This pressure causes inflammation and damage to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) leading to facial pain, jaw clicking and headaches. It also causes severe wear and breakage of the teeth.
The treatment for bruxism? For many cases a custom orthotic device protects the teeth from wear and places the jaw in a position that reduces stress on the temporomandibular joint. For patients who have been grinding their teeth for a long time a full-mouth reconstruction may be needed to correct the damage.
In Beverly Hills neuromuscular dentist Dr. David Frey has extensive experience diagnosing and treating severe facial pain, headache and other symptoms caused by bruxism. Please do not delay seeking treatment that will allow us to stop further damage and start the healing process.
Please contact the Beverly Hills office of neuromuscular dentist Dr. David Frey at 310-276-4537 today to schedule your appointment.
