Attrition – bruxism
Are your teeth worn out?
Attrition is defined as tooth wear.
Attrition Causes Significant Problems
The most severe attrition usually results from bruxism (teeth grinding) and sometimes can result from clenching. Attrition first affects the enamel and, if left unchecked, once the enamel is affected, the attrition quickly destroys the dentin, the underlying layer, which is softer. In many cases, jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) problems develop (jaw creaking, noise, jaw locking with or without pain).
Attrition fix
Before
After
Solutions to light attrition
In cases of mild attrition, a night plate may be suggested, to slow the progression of wear. When the tines are badly worn, it means you’ve lost vertical dimension. The loss of vertical dimension is represented by shorter, irregularly shaped teeth. In cases of severe attritions, to rectify the situation, we must find the original height of the teeth. We will then assess the need for a complete rehabilitation of your teeth.
Will you be or cringe?
The action of clenching and grinding the teeth ensures that the muscles attached to the jaw are always stressed even during the night when they should be enjoying a rest. It is this continual stress that causes headaches and joint pain via sore muscles.
Symptoms
- Pain or tenderness in the joint or muscles attached to the jaw, which may intensify on waking, clenching teeth, chewing or yawning.
- Unexplained headache or neck pain. These symptoms are attributed to other causes but it may be related to the posture of your jaw.
- Cracking, grinding or popping sound when chewing, yawning or opening the mouth at the joint.
- Shorter teeth, people who grind their teeth, will wear out their teeth prematurely.
- General sensitivity to the teeth due to the pressure exerted on them
- Difficulty opening and closing the jaw completely; Jaw blockage open or closed.
Treatment may include :
- Correction of dental problems – sometimes a malocclusion can be corrected by changing the shape of certain teeth.
- Wearing a removable plate made of transparent plastic allows you to bite on the plate rather than the teeth, helping the joints and muscles to relax. The dentist can prescribe wearing it overnight only or otherwise, depending on the nature of the temporomandibular problem.
- A visit to another member of the healthcare team may help relieve muscle pain or open your jaw more easily; a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath.
- The replacement of missing teeth because the absence of certain teeth makes others work overtime, hence the possibility of teeth grinding
