Surprise (602) 842-4864 Prescott Valley (928) 277-0076 Prescott (928) 443-1200 |
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Posted on 2/20/2019 by Andrew Zeiger |
 Bruxism or teeth grinding is a serious problem that you should not ignore. It can cause a variety of different problems. Even if your troubles with bruxism are minor, it can still damage your oral health. One way it does this is by wearing down your enamel. You may wonder how it does this and what does it mean. What is Enamel?Most people have heard of enamel, but they do not know what it is and what it does. Enamel is a thin outer coating over the crown of the tooth. It is the hardest tissue found in the human body. It protects the tooth from bacteria and other dangers. The enamel can protect the softer dentin of the teeth from cracking or breaking when chewing or doing something else. It also protects the teeth from temperature and chemicals that the teeth come in contact with. Enamel does not contain any living tissue. That means when it is gone, it is gone forever. That is why it is important to avoid things that can wear down the enamel. One of the things that does this is bruxism. How It Does This There are two ways that bruxism can affect and erode the enamel of the teeth. The first way it does this is by rubbing the surfaces of the teeth together. When you grind your teeth, you are rubbing the surfaces together and this can remove the enamel. It can start with losing the enamel on the top of the teeth. The longer you grind your teeth, the more the teeth will erode and eventually you will erode all the enamel on the teeth. The second way is if you chip, fracture or break a tooth because of the bruxism. The enamel lost when a tooth breaks is irreplaceable. It also opens up other parts of the tooth and enamel for erosion from other sources. For more information about this and any other oral health issue, contact our office to schedule your next appointment. |
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