Do you grind or clench your teeth during sleep?

Many people who grind or clench their teeth in their sleep have no idea they’re doing it. In fact, when they wake up in the morning they feel no jaw pain and their teeth are fine: if it hadn’t been for someone telling them about it or your dentist noticing a premature wear pattern, the teeth grinding or clenching would have gone unnoticed.

There are other people, however, who wake up with jaw pain, shoulder and neck pain, and headaches. Teeth grinding can cause a host of dental complications. From cracked teeth and receding gums to a misaligned jaw, teeth grinding is not something to take lightly.

Teeth grinding and clenching is mostly a subconscious stress release habit during certain sleep cycles and cannot be prevented. Clenching is often also done during waking hours and if you have caught yourself clenching, there is a high likelihood that it also occurs during your sleep. Unlike most dental offices, we take our time to question and assess whether you grind or clench because the treatment appliance used are very different and it’s important that the right appliance is used to protect yourself from damage and to relieve any symptoms that you may have.

 Clenchers often also suffer from migraines or frequent headaches and the device we make severely cuts down the frequency of these headaches! So if you suspect that you have these habits or have been told by sleep partners, then please let us know at the NYC Smile Spa to evaluate you for the proper appliance before you develop severe symptoms or cause increased tooth enamel wear and/or bone loss around your teeth!

For more information, you can contact Dr. Michael Krochak at

drk@nycsmilespa.com

NYC Smile Spa

30 E. 60th St., Rm 1201

New York, NY 10022

(212) 838-2900

Relax and smile!