{"id":112,"date":"2017-06-17T14:24:09","date_gmt":"2017-06-17T14:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.dentalcenterwestport.com\/?p=112"},"modified":"2017-06-17T14:24:09","modified_gmt":"2017-06-17T14:24:09","slug":"struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Your dentist in Westport can help stop your unconscious teeth grinding with a simple mouthpiece. \" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622.jpg 724w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Have you been feeling a little more stressed lately? Are work and family constantly giving you new things to worry about? While you might think that you\u2019re putting on a good face for the world, there is one thing that may definitely be showing your stress: your smile. According to the American Sleep Association, as much as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepassociation.org\/patients-general-public\/bruxism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10% of the population suffers from bruxism<\/a>, which is a condition where a person unconsciously clenches their jaw and grinds their teeth. It can be brought on by a litany of factors, but the most common one, by far, is stress. Over time, this can cause severe damage to the teeth, even causing them to break and fracture. How can you know if this is affecting you? What causes this condition? More importantly, what can you do to stop it? Fortunately,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/meet-the-doctors.html\">Dr. Masha Kogan<\/a>, can answer all of these questions and more.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Signs That You May Have Bruxism<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re reading this article, it\u2019s likely that you know that something is going on with your teeth, but you don\u2019t quite know what. Perhaps your jaw feels a little sore or tender in the morning, or maybe your teeth are starting to look worn down. These are both classic signs of bruxism, and some other common symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teeth that are worn, chipped, cracked, or loose<\/li>\n<li>Increased tooth sensitivity<\/li>\n<li>Tired or tight jaw muscles that do not move easily<\/li>\n<li>Jaw, neck, or facial pain<\/li>\n<li>Damage on the cheek located right next to your teeth<\/li>\n<li>Disrupted sleep<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If any of these sound familiar, it\u2019s very likely that you are grinding your teeth. For most people, <strong>it happens at night while they are completely asleep<\/strong>, which can make it particularly difficult to both diagnose and treat. This leads us to the next question\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>What Causes Bruxism?<\/h2>\n<p>As we just mentioned, <strong>stress<\/strong> is by far the leading cause of bruxism, as it is found to be a factor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bruxism.org.uk\/causes-of-bruxism.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in nearly 70% of all cases<\/a> according to The Bruxism Association. This isn\u2019t too strange as stress has been shown to cause muscle tension throughout the body for years. In bruxism\u2019s case, this tension occurs in the jaw, which can lead to a wide range of problems including muscle pain and broken teeth.<\/p>\n<p>Bruxism also seems to coincide with certain <strong>lifestyle factors<\/strong>. Those who regularly consume alcohol, tobacco, or take medication for anxiety, sleep, or depression have been shown to have higher rates of bruxism than the normal population.<\/p>\n<p>The last potential cause is <strong>sleep disorders<\/strong>, and more specifically, obstructive sleep apnea. People suffering from sleep apnea temporarily stop breathing for short periods throughout the night, and this can cause tremendous amounts of stress and extra movement, including (you guessed it) teeth grinding.<\/p>\n<h2>What Can You Do About Teeth Grinding?<\/h2>\n<p>So you\u2019re pretty sure that you\u2019re grinding your teeth at night, so what should you do next? It\u2019s an unconscious habit, so you can\u2019t simply just stop it. Fortunately, the solution to this potentially terrible problem is relatively straightforward, and you can find it with your dentist.<\/p>\n<p>To help patients dealing with bruxism, the Dental Center of Westport provides a small, custom-made mouthpiece called a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">nightguard<\/a>. A patient only needs to wear it when they go to bed, and it works by placing a protective barrier between the teeth, preventing them from being damaged by grinding. Because every nightguard we make is unique for each patient, it is not only effective, but comfortable as well. After just a few nights of use, most patients don\u2019t even realize that they are wearing it. What they do notice, however, is how most of their bruxism symptoms start to quickly melt away.<\/p>\n<h2>Want To Know More?<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re experiencing any of the bruxism symptoms we listed above, please don\u2019t wait to get treatment. This condition can severely weaken the teeth, and this can eventually damage them so much that they need to be extracted. The Dental Center of Westport can help, and before you know it, you can have the peace of mind that your smile is safe while you sleep.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about bruxism and how we can help you with it, please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/contact-us.html\">contact our office today<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you been feeling a little more stressed lately? Are work and family constantly giving you new things to worry about? While you might think that you\u2019re putting on a good face for the world, there is one thing that may definitely be showing your stress: your smile. According to the American Sleep Association, as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dental Center of WestPort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-06-17T14:24:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drkogan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drkogan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/\",\"name\":\"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-06-17T14:24:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d\"},\"description\":\"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622.jpg\",\"width\":724,\"height\":483,\"caption\":\"Your dentist in Westport can help stop your unconscious teeth grinding with a simple mouthpiece.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Center of WestPort\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d\",\"name\":\"drkogan\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/author\/drkogan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort","description":"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort","og_description":"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/","og_site_name":"Dental Center of WestPort","article_published_time":"2017-06-17T14:24:09+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"drkogan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"drkogan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/","name":"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help! - Dental Center of WestPort","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622-300x200.jpg","datePublished":"2017-06-17T14:24:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d"},"description":"Thousands of people grind their teeth every night and have no clue they are doing it! Fortunately, they can get help with their dentist in Westport!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/iStock-147490622.jpg","width":724,"height":483,"caption":"Your dentist in Westport can help stop your unconscious teeth grinding with a simple mouthpiece."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/struggle-grinding-teeth-dentist-can-help\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Struggle with Teeth Grinding? Your Dentist Can Help!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/","name":"Dental Center of WestPort","description":"Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d","name":"drkogan","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/author\/drkogan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}