Are you worried about your oral health? It can be easy to keep up with your daily tooth-brushing rota in the morning and before you go to bed. However, what if you were actually affecting the health of your teeth whilst you were asleep without even realizing it? 

Teeth grinding is a normal occurrence for most people, especially if they are going through periods of stress. Here are the top ways to tell if you are also grinding your teeth whilst you sleep.

Physical ailments 

After a night of teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, you may actually find that you are in a lot of pain once you wake up. Not only can teeth grinding cause facial pain, jaw stiffness and muscle aches, it can also cause headaches and earache. This is because you are constantly moving your jawline throughout the night without rest. Unfortunately, if this is left unchecked, you may also become the victim of a gum infection or a mouth abscess. 

Teeth grinding sometimes can actually be loud enough to wake both you and your partner up during the night. If you find yourself waking up due to your grinding, or the noise is causing your partner to wake you up, this may disrupt both of your sleep schedules or force the two of you to sleep in separate beds. 

One of the worst outcomes of grinding your teeth at night is the fact that you will wear down your tooth enamel. This could lead to your teeth chipping or becoming fragmented. 

Whilst there are ways to fix this, including composite bonding from Ten Dental, try to wear a night guard at night to protect the outer layer of your teeth. That way, if you grind, there will be very little noise, and the soft guard material will make sure that no damage is inflicted upon your teeth.

The main purpose of fillings is to ensure that some of the most damaged areas of your teeth (such as holes or places that may be prone to decay) are protected. However, if you are grinding your teeth then you may find that your fillings start to chip and fragment. This may mean that you will have to visit your dentist more often than you want to in order to have them fixed.

Have your teeth been feeling strangely sensitive to hot and cold food and drink? If you have noticed that certain foods have started to cause your mouth discomfort, this could be due to the fact that the enamel of your teeth has been worn down by the grinding. 

If this has started to become a problem, then you may need to consider different protective toothpastes that could add some extra protection to the outer layers of your teeth. These toothpastes could include charcoal-based products. 

Have you found ulcers and cuts on the inside of your cheeks? This could be due to additional damage from tooth grinding. The skin of your cheek may get caught in the chewing and cause cuts, bleeding and painful sores.