If everything is working correctly, you shouldn't even be aware of your teeth or bite. If your bite bothers, your jaw joint hurts, or I complain about tooth wear- we have a problem.
If you grind, usually the front teeth wear. Clenching wears the back teeth. Either one can bother the joint.
The normal wear rate for enamel is about 30 microns per year, so 1 mm in 30 years. If you have worn 3 mm off your teeth, not uncommon, you have the teeth of a 100 year old! I used to tell patients, you have the teeth of a __ year old, but the girls made me stop. It sounded too mean.
If you have any of these issues, your teeth should never touch. Really, never! The teeth touching is what has caused the problem, so it just needs to stop. When you chew, food is between the teeth so that doesn't count. Most of us clench with stress- when freeway traffic is bad, when a child throws a fit, or when we have a dental appointment coming up. During the day, it's a matter of becoming aware of your clenching. I have seen hypnosis therapy used. The post-hypnotic suggestion is, "Lips together, teeth apart."
Grinding at night obviously can't be stopped consciously. It is usually stress related. Many people start grinding in college, then it becomes a firmly entrenched habit. The solution is a bite guard. They can be smaller than the NFL style. The guard will prevent tooth wear, and usually stops the grinding. 20% of patients still grind, but at least it's acrylic that grinds away, not enamel.
Children often grind their baby teeth. It's not stress, the cause is actually unknown. Many kids grind their teeth so flat that only a little disc is left when the tooth comes out. Only a small percentage of kids keep grinding when their permanent teeth come in. If the grinding continues, then it's a problem, we don't want wear on those teeth. I know how terrible it sounds, but ignore it. Close the bedroom door.
The TMJ is a ball and socket joint. Instead of being a simple hinge, the joint can slide around so you can chew. A disc in the joint enables the sliding. The disc is held in place with ligaments. The most common TMJ problem is when the ligaments are damaged and the disc pops out of position. It makes a popping noise, sometimes makes it hard to open or close, and hurts. The first thing to do for TMJ is to be nice to the joint. If your knees hurt, it's time to stop running and do a different excercise. With TMJ, it's no more hard food like beef jerky or sourdough bread. Be careful not to open too wide. Don't clench or grind, don't even let your teeth touch in the daytime. At night wear a bite guard. If you are in the 20% that still grinds with a guard, it should still help. It holds your jaw down and forward and only touches in the front. That minimizes the pressure you can put on the joint. If it still hurts after (1) being nice to the joint and (2) wearing a nightguard, it's time to see a TMJ specialist.
Give us a call if your bite needs to be evaluated.
e it. Close the bedroom door.
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