Tupelo, MS -- Dr. Richard Caron - "Your Dental Health" -- Bruxism

Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of the teeth that often occurs while a person is sleeping. The symptoms of bruxism are a sore tired jaw, difficulty in opening and closing your mouth, sensitive teeth, earaches, or pain in your jaw joint. When you brux, the force on your teeth is many times greater than during normal chewing and this can cause more dental problems, such as flattened or worn down teeth, teeth chipped at the gum line, loose teeth, damage to your jaw joint. Though all of the causes of bruxism are not known, stress is often a factor. So no matter what is causing your bruxism, it's important to see your dentist as soon as you can for early treatment to prevent damage and restore harmony in your mouth.