TMJ and Bruxism Treatment

Damage to tooth enamel often occurs over time, but it isn't always caused by dental decay. Teeth grinding and dental injury can wear or severely damage your teeth. Chips, cracks, and fissures can be painful and lead to further damage if not repaired and prevented. 

If you grind your teeth during sleep, our dentist may recommend a custom night guard. This dental device is often the easiest solution to protect your family's smiles against damage caused by teeth grinding.

If you think a custom nightguard can help you, call CDIC at one of our convenient dental offices in Huntington Beach, Brea, Placentia, or Cypress.  

How Bruxism Affects Your Oral Health

Occasional teeth grinding is not unusual; however, if clenching and "bruxing" are chronic problems, they can do more than strain your mouth. Severe bruxism places so much force on teeth that those who consistently grind their teeth will wear down the enamel up to 10 times faster than those who don't.

Those who suffer from severe bruxism, or persistent teeth grinding, can also suffer damage to their teeth and jaw joints (TMJ). Other risks associated with bruxism include:

  • Jaw disorders
  • Headaches
  • Neck and ear pain
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Cracked or damaged teeth
  • Tooth loss
  • Hearing loss

Common Reasons for Bruxism and Teeth Grinding

Bruxism can occur during the day or at night and is often done unconsciously. Some patients grind their teeth while driving, sleeping, exercising, or participating in sports. 

TMJ Disorder

The TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is a complex joint, which often makes it challenging to determine whether TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) is a cause or effect of teeth grinding.

Habitual teeth grinding wears down teeth to the extent that your dental bite becomes unbalanced and causes TMJ problems. Conversely, TMJ disorder can lead to teeth grinding. 

To make diagnosis even more complicated, not everyone with TMD grinds their teeth, and many who have a long-term teeth grinding habit don't have TMJ problems.  

Other causes of teeth grinding and bruxism include:

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Tension
  • Fatigue
  • Sleep apnea
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Abnormal dental bite
  • Missing teeth
  • Crooked teeth

How We Manage TMJ Pain and Bruxism

The only way to know if you have bruxism or a teeth grinding habit is to contact our Huntington Beach, Brea, Placentia, or Cypress dental office for an appointment. Since pinpointing the source of bruxism can be challenging, our goal is to limit its impact on your life.

During your visit, our dentist will ask when you first started having symptoms, how severe they are, and if you have suffered from any dental trauma. You can also expect them to review your dental records to check for changes in your teeth and mouth over the past months. 

If they suspect moderate to severe bruxism, they will look for sore or tender jaw muscles, dental abnormalities, and take some new x-rays. 

Depending on the results of this exam and your input, our dentist will determine the best treatment for you and your smile.

  • Lifestyle and habit changes: Since the underlying cause of bruxism in many cases is stress and tension, patients may benefit from relaxing practices like yoga, meditation, and massage. You can also make changes to take the stress off the TMJ, such as nail biting and gum-chewing. Some studies suggest that smoking can also increase TMJ pain, so you might consider quitting or significantly curbing the habit.
  • Medication: In some cases, our dentists may recommend relaxing medications to eliminate tension and give your jaw joint a chance to rest.
  • BOTOX®: If you suffer from TMJ pain and teeth grinding, BOTOX injections strategically placed at certain points around the jaw, forehead, and temple help limit movement and provide relief for several months.

Durable Custom-Fitted Night Guards

If you have bruxism, we can take digital impressions of your teeth and create a custom night guard. Over-the-counter night guards are available, but they don't fit as comfortably or protect your teeth as well as one that's custom-made for your smile. 

With a comfortable custom-fitted night guard, your jaw can rest and protect your teeth from grinding and clenching forces. 

We also customize athletic mouthguards to protect your family's smiles if you or anyone plays sports. Please call us to schedule an appointment!

Don't Live with Teeth Grinding and TMJ Pain!

You don't have to live with jaw joint pain or the oral health consequences of teeth grinding. Call one of our convenient Orange County dental offices to arrange an appointment so we can help you. You can reach our Huntington Beach office at (714) 968-2527, our Brea office at (714) 257-0330, our Placentia office at (714) 577-9070, or our Cypress dental office at (714) 761-2211.