Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA
What do you notice first when you see someone’s face? Is it their eyes, or maybe their smile? Chances are, their bite or how well their teeth align is not a readily apparent feature, but the bite plays a key role in maintaining facial balance and structure as well as a youthful appearance. Thankfully, cosmetic dentistry can reverse the effects of worn down teeth, and give you a more youthful appearance.
How your teeth can cause wrinkles
Bruxism, which means clenching and grinding your teeth, can significantly wear down your teeth over time. It usually occurs while sleeping. Bruxism can affect your bite, and consequently, your face. It can leave a person with a face that appears sunken-in, exaggerate smile lines, and cause a receded lower jaw, forward head posture and a significant increase in wrinkles. In other words, significantly worn down teeth can cause wrinkles or premature aging of the face, not to mention other oral health concerns.
What causes bruxism, and what is the problem with it?
In most cases, bruxism results from functional or postural problems or stress; due to constant tightening of the facial, jaw, and neck muscles. Teeth grinding also can significantly increase the amount of wear on teeth, wearing teeth down to just little nubs. Bruxism places an exponential amount of pressure on teeth than normal eating. Grinding of teeth can also cause deterioration of tooth enamel, increase the risk of tooth decay, receding gums, and tooth sensitivity.
How do I know if I have bruxism?
You may be unaware that you clench and grind your teeth, especially if it occurs while you sleep. Signs of bruxism are frequent headaches (especially upon waking up), sore jaw joints, damage to your teeth or existing dental work such as breaks, cracks, or fractures, and even chronic neck and shoulder pain.
Ignoring the issue
If left untreated, teeth grinding overworks the jaw muscles and exerts excessive force on the temporomandibular joint, making a person more prone to developing temporomandibular disorder (TMJ or TMD), as well as severely damaged or missing teeth. This can open up a whole host of other concerns including chronic headaches or jaw pain. Bruxism will not stop on its own. Effective treatment requires the use of a customized oral appliance that is worn while sleeping. The goal of the oral appliance is to absorb the pressure and force when you clench and grind your teeth.
A more youthful smile
Preventing further damage to your teeth is the first line of defense when treating this oral health concern. Then, we can begin to reconstruct your smile, providing you with a smile makeover that will leave you feeling confident again. Every patient’s needs are different, but we can repair teeth that have been damaged due to bruxism by a variety of cosmetic dental treatments including veneers, dental bonding, dental crowns, or even dental implants for patients who have lost teeth due to severe damage. In some cases we may need to reconstruct your bite, which will certainly provide you with a more youthful appearance.
Ready to turn back time, and say “good bye” to wrinkles? Contact Hamilton Dental Care at (570) 387-0533 to schedule a consultation and learn more about the services we offer.
We can treat your bruxism, and have you smiling confidently in no time!
Hamilton Dental Care is here to serve patients in the communities of Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA.
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