Wondering why your teeth, jaw, or face hurt all the time? You may have bruxism, commonly called teeth grinding. Your Long Beach, CA, orofacial pain specialist, Dr. Douglas Wall, specializes in sleep medicine and offers treatments that will help relieve your pain.

The effects of bruxism

It's not easy to tell if you have bruxism since it occurs while you're asleep. Friends or family members may mention that they've seen you grinding your teeth or you might wake up in the middle of the night and notice that you're clenching your jaw.

Grinding your teeth is very damaging to your oral health and can:

• Chip or break teeth, dental crowns, veneers, and other restorations
• Wear away your tooth enamel, exposing the sensitive dentin layer of your teeth
• Cause tooth sensitivity when you eat or drink hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks
• Trigger pain in your teeth, face, jaw, and ears
• Create sores inside your cheeks
• Loosen teeth and dental implants
• Cause headaches and jaw stiffness

Bruxism causes

Bruxism can be caused or worsened by many things, including:

• A misalignment of your teeth (a bite problem)
• Stress and anxiety
• Diseases, like gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Parkinson's disease, or epilepsy.
• Sleep apnea
• Medication side effects
• Smoking, drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages or using recreational drugs

Treating bruxism

Making lifestyle changes can often stop or decrease grinding. Meditation, yoga, exercise, and other stress-relief practices can be helpful. If the problem is due to a bite problem, your dentist may recommend orthodontic treatment.

Switching to a new medication, quitting smoking or recreational drugs, or limiting your consumption of alcohol and caffeine can also be helpful.

If your sleep medicine dentist notices signs of bruxism during a visit to the Long Beach, CA, dental office, he may recommend that you wear a nightguard while you sleep. Nightguards are custom-fitted appliances worn over your teeth. The guard absorbs pressure generated by grinding, protecting your teeth and gums. Wearing a nightguard every night offers a simple way to end your pain and prevent damage to your teeth.

Sleep medicine treatments can help you control your bruxism. Call your orofacial pain specialist in Long Beach, CA, Dr. Wall at (562) 597-1414 to schedule your appointment.