Teeth Grinding and Braces

Teeth Grinding, or Bruxism as it is also called, can be a frustrating habit that can cause damage to your beautiful smile. While your braces work hard to align your teeth, bruxism can work against that goal. So how do teeth grinding and braces interact?

What Are the Causes of Bruxism?

While there are many contributing causes to teeth grinding, they can be distilled into a few categories. Firstly, some may be related to stress or anxiety. Others can be attributed to bite issues and jaw or teeth misalignment. Other contributing factors can include things like TMJ.

Do Braces Help with Bruxism?

Since one probable cause of bruxism may be misalignment of teeth and jaw, teeth grinding and braces can impact one another. Braces may help fix any misalignment that is contributing to teeth grinding. If this is a concern, talk to your orthodontist about how braces and teeth grinding may impact one another, and they may be able to help you make a plan to treat it appropriately, reducing further risk to your beautiful smile.

What if I have Bruxism While I Have Braces?

If you still exhibit teeth grinding and braces are already in the treatment process, let your orthodontist know. It is possible to treat bruxism while you have braces on. Also, teeth grinding can undo some of the hard work your braces have done to align your beautiful smile. Treating teeth grinding sooner than later may be in your best interest, and could help maintain a beautiful smile. Talk to your orthodontist about the frequency of teeth grinding, and surrounding factors such as stress, sleep habits, caffeine intake or other contributing factors that may help your orthodontist pinpoint what may be the cause.

Call our Huntsville, Lufkin, Conroe, Bryan, Spring, Tomball or Humble dental offices to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.