Bruxism

Bruxism is a condition that people grind or clench their teeth.   People who grind or clench their teeth during the day and during their sleep regularly are likely to have dental problems, headaches, facial or jaw pain, and temporomandibular joint disorder.   Awake bruxism is teeth grinding or clenching during the day. Sleep bruxism is teeth grinding or clenching during sleep.  People who have sleep bruxism may have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and sleep apnea.

The exact cause of bruxism is unclear.  These are possible causes of bruxism:

·       Stress & anxiety

·       Abnormal bite, malocclusion (teeth do not meet properly when the jaw closes)

·       Missing or crooked teeth

·       Sleep disorders: snoring, sleep apnea

Signs & symptoms of bruxism may include:

·       Teeth grinding or clenching may be loud enough to wake up your sleep partner

·       Teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose

·       Worn tooth enamel, exposing deeper layers of your tooth

·       Increased tooth pain or sensitivity

·       Tired or tight jaw muscles, or a locked jaw that won’t open or close completely

·       Jaw, neck or face pain or soreness

·       Pain that feels like an earache

·       Dull headache starting in the temples

·       Sleep disruption

·       Wake up in the morning with jaw pain

Dangers of bruxism

·       Wear down tooth enamel, damage to dental fillings and crowns

·       Tension-type headaches

·       Facial or jaw pain

·       Temporomandibular joint disorder

Factors increase risk of bruxism

·       A study in the November 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that teeth grinding is also associated with alcohol and tobacco use.  People who drink alcohol and use tobacco are twice likely to grind their teeth.

·       Stress, anxiety, anger,  and frustration

·       Personality type:  person who is aggressive, competitive or hyperactive can increase the risk of bruxism

·       Smoking tobacco, drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol, or use of recreational drugs may increase the risk of bruxism.

·       Bruxism can be associated with some mental health and medical conditions: Parkinson’s disease, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, sleep apnea and attention deficit disorder.

Treatment for bruxism

·       Recommend a sleep study to rule out an airway issue

·       Mouth guard fitted by the dentist.  Mouth guard is worn to protect the teeth

·       Dietary changes

·       life style changes

Prevention

·       Stress and anxiety management may help reduce or prevent bruxism

·       Good sleep hygiene: cool dark, quiet room to sleep in

·       Avoid foods and drinks that contain high concentration of caffeine or alcohol

Bruxism can create serious problems for oral health. If you notice that you grind or clench your teeth during the day or you wake up in the morning with jaw pain, call for a consultation with Dr. Anna Lee.  She can help you, diagnose the problem and provide treatment options.  Dr. Anna Lee is a general & cosmetic dentist in Glendora, CA.  Call our office at 626-335-5114 for a dental checkup or visit us at www.annaleedds.com.

Tips to overcome Dental Fear

Many people are fearful of going to the dentist.  The reason may be that you had a bad dental experience; the dental injection was painful, you were not numb enough during the treatment, or the dental visit was too long.  These are legitimate reasons that cause people to be afraid of seeking dental treatment. Dental fears are not uncommon.                                                                                                                             

Here are some tips to overcome dental fear:

Communication with the dentist & dental team

·       Talk with your dentist & dental staff and let them know you are fearful of the dental visit.

·       Start with simple treatment with short appointments.

·       You may feel more in control if you take part in decisions about your treatment. Ask the dentist to explain the procedure before the treatment.

·       Some patients want to know everything about the treatment. Tell your dentist to explain what is happening at every stage of the dental procedure.

·       Hand signal such as “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” tells the dentist to continue or stop the procedure.  Thumbs up means to continue the procedure.  Thumbs downs means stop.

·       Discuss fees and finance before the treatment.

Pain Control

·       Research has shown that pain is one of the main reasons people avoid seeing the dentist.

·       Make sure you tell the dentist if you are not numb enough before or during the dental procedure.

·       Minimize pain with using topical anesthetics. It is applied with a Q-tip to numb an area of the mouth before the injection.

·       Ask for pain medication prescriptions if needed after an extensive dental procedure.

Use Distraction

·       Watch a funny video to help you relax before the treatment

·       Wear head phone and listen to music during the treatment

·       Squeeze a stress ball

·       Imagine your happy place and visualize yourself at a relaxing place

Practice relaxation Techniques

·       Relaxation exercises: take a big breath and letting it out very slowly

·       Relax your muscle & slow your heart rate

Sedative may be needed before the procedure

·       Some patients take Valium to relax prior to the treatment

·       Sedatives help people feel calmer and more relaxed during the treatment

Bring a companion during appointments

·       Bring a friend or family member to the dental appointment for support

·       Friend or family member keeps you company during the treatment

·       Keep your mind off any unpleasant thoughts

Reward Yourself

·       Buy something nice or do something fun to reward yourself for overcoming the fear of the dental treatment

·       Rewards can help you to relate dental visits with fun activities

Dental fears are not uncommon. Finding a dentist who listens and understands your dental fears is important. Dental visits should not just be getting the dental treatment done; it should also be creating a positive experience.   Dr. Anna Lee is a general & cosmetic dentist in Glendora, CA.  She listens and understands your dental fears.  Dr. Lee and her team can help you to reduce your dental fears. Call our office for a dental visit at 626-335-5114 or visit us at www.annaleedds.com.

Cracked Tooth Syndrome

What is Cracked Tooth Syndrome?

Cracked Tooth Syndrome- a tooth that has a crack and may be painful when biting or chewing in a certain way. The pain may be mild or intense and can last for a brief moment or a long time.  The pain is caused by the pressure of biting onto the cracked tooth; the crack opens and irritates the pulp.   The crack in a tooth is often undetectable by the human eyes.  The crack is usually too small to show up on dental x-rays. The treatment of a tooth that has the Cracked Tooth Syndrome depends on the size and location of the crack.  Treatment options may be a filling, a crown, root canal therapy, an extraction or no treatment.

Symptoms of Cracked Tooth Syndrome

·       No pain

·       Mild or intense pain

·       Sharp pain when biting down that quickly disappears; pain when biting down a certain way

·       Pain that comes and goes but does not hurt all the time; pain lasts for a brief time or a long time (months).  Pain is unpredictable.

·       Pain when eating or drinking; hot or cold temperature, or eating foods that are sweet, sour or sticky

The crack in a tooth is often undetectable by the human eyes.  So, look out for localized pain that flares up when biting down into food or when exposing the tooth to hot or cold temperature.

Diagnosis

Patients with Cracked Tooth Syndrome may have symptoms for a long time (months). It is one of the most difficult dental problems to diagnose.

·       Complete oral examination

·       Dental history

·       Symptoms

·       X-rays, fiber optic handpiece  assists the detection of the crack, stain crack with a special dye

·       Patients who have cracked teeth are likely to have other cracked teeth

Treatment depends on:

·       Location of the crack

·       The size of the crack

·       How deep the crack is

Dentist recommendations:

·       If the crack is tiny and superficial (craze line), there may be no treatment and just observation

·       Restore the tooth with a filling

·       Restore the tooth with a crown to protect further cracking of the tooth

·       Endodontic (root canal therapy) may be needed if the crack has extended into the pulp

·       Extraction of the tooth  may be necessary if the crack has extended below the gum line and into the root

Prevention

·       Avoid chewing on hard objects or foods like ice, nuts or hard candy

·       Avoid accidents: biting into frozen foods, tripping/falling on an uneven sidewalk, hitting by a hard object and others

·       Teeth grinding and clenching can increase the risk of Cracked Tooth Syndrome.  Talk to the dentist about wearing a night guard.  The night guard can be worn during sleep and other times if clenching happens during the waking hours.

Prognosis

Treatment of Cracked Tooth Syndrome may not always be successful.  Consult with the dentist about the treatment options.  In some patients, a crown may solve the dental problem.  In others, root canal therapy solves the problem.  And there are some patients who need an extraction of the tooth if the crack is deep and extensive.

Dr. Anna Lee is a general & cosmetic dentist in Glendora, CA.  She has been practicing dentistry for more than 30 years.  If you have any questions about the symptoms of Cracked Tooth Syndrome, call our office for a consultation at 626-335-5114. Or visit us at www.annaleedds.com.