Bruxism Treatment – How To Stop Clenching Your Teeth

If you are looking for bruxism or jaw clenching treatment, Metro Smiles is the best place to find it. Our expertly trained team will assess your symptoms and recommend the best solutions for your particular case, be it a neurotoxin, a mouthguard, or another alternative.

Bruxism, a condition that involves the unconscious grinding, gnashing or clenching of the sufferer’s teeth, negatively affects the dental health of approximately 25 million Americans. Many TMJ/TMD issues can trigger migraines and chronic headaches as well. Are you one of them? Do not despair! You can be easily diagnosed and benefit from effective bruxism treatments in our Greenwood Village, CO, cosmetic dentistry office.

Our dental health team will review your symptoms, assess the condition of your teeth, and offer the best solutions for your care. Bruxism/clenching can have devastating effects on your teeth, joints, appearance and overall quality of life, so it is important to identify its causes and seek the necessary bruxism treatment as soon as possible.

Common Bruxism/Clenching Symptoms

The exact causes of bruxism are still unknown. However, the condition has been linked to negative emotions and stress, malocclusions (improperly aligned teeth and bite), bad habits like smoking, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, and various medications and disorders. Depending on causes and severity, sufferers can experience any or all of the following bruxism symptoms:

• Shortened, Flattened, chipped, fractured, or loose teeth
• Wearing out of the tooth enamel and exposure of the deeper tooth layers causing yellowing of the edges of the teeth
• Tooth pain and sensitivity varying in severity
• Tight or tired jaw muscles, jaw closing and opening difficulties especially in morning or as day progresses
• Jaw, face, or neck pain and soreness
• Pain resembling earache when the ear is healthy
• Dull headaches starting from the temples
• Inner cheek injuries from chewing
• Sleep disruptions
• Bulky facial muscles/Cheeks when biting, chewing, or clenching

Many teeth clenching symptoms are common to TMD, a jaw joint disorder, as well. We will cover the basic similarities and differences below.

Botox®/Xeomin® for Bruxism and TMJ Symptoms: How It Works and The Benefits It Brings

There are significant differences between TMD and bruxism. Bruxism is involuntary teeth grinding or clenching. Left untreated, it can lead to various dental health problems, including TMD, a more serious condition that often involves pain and swelling of the jaw joint (TMJ) and jaw functioning difficulties. TMD is caused by jaw, facial muscle, and joint problems.

The standard treatment for both TMD and bruxism has been a mouthguard/ occlusal guard/ night guard. Guards for bruxism aim to prevent teeth grinding. Those for TMD aim to correct the patient’s bite, reposition their jaw, and relieve discomfort. Wearing a nightguard involves strict compliance, if the guard isn’t worn – it won’t help.

Luckily, now more effective treatments have been discovered that help sufferers day and night. More and more clinicians are beginning to use Botox® or Xeomin® for bruxism. Dr. Robin Asbury has taken extensive training to be able to provide this treatment option to relieve TMJ pain. The treatment consists of injecting doses of neurotoxin into the jaw muscles to help it relax and, thus, put an end to the excessive strength, activity, and spasticity. Botox® or Xeomin® injections have several valuable benefits, such as:

• Reducing the severity of teeth grinding and jaw clenching
• Relieving jaw soreness, headaches, and other bruxism symptoms by relaxing affected muscles
• Improving sleep quality for both the patient and those sleeping in the same room
• Improving the appearance of the jawline by slimming a square or round-looking face
• Preventing irreversible complications of bruxism, such as TMJ symptoms or TMD.

Although Botox®/Xeomin® injections do not cure bruxism, these advanced neurotoxins provide outstanding relief of its symptoms with no negative effects on chewing or daily activities. They are also more comfortable/convenient than other bruxism treatment and have been proven to help stop muscle contraction but also relieves pain by preventing nerves from releasing inflammatory molecules. Neurotoxins inactivate the nerve endings that cause muscles to contract, eliminating involuntary contractions in the jaw (like when sleeping or stressed).

How to Stop Clenching Teeth at Night and During the Day – Final Advice

If you want to know how to stop clenching teeth at night and during the day, you should consult our expert dental team. We will assess your condition and identify the best bruxism treatment for you. Already mentioned mouthguards and Botox®/Xeomin® can also be combined for jaw clenching treatment, along with stress-reduction techniques.

At Metro Smiles, it is our passion to help patients by treating bruxism successfully, and have grown this aspect of our practice from all our wonderful patient referrals. We have patients from Denver, Denver Tech Center, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills, Centennial, and beyond. If you want to learn more about how to stop clenching teeth at night and during the day, please call our office and schedule a consultation now! We always welcome new patients!