Can bruxism cause permanent damage to my teeth, and how serious can it get?
Yes, bruxism can cause permanent damage, and how serious it becomes depends largely on how long it goes unidentified and unmanaged. Enamel, the hard outer layer of the tooth, does not regenerate once it is worn away. The grinding forces of bruxism, applied consistently over months and years during sleep, progressively flatten the biting surfaces of the back teeth and shorten and chip the edges of the front teeth. Once enamel is lost and the underlying dentine is exposed, the tooth becomes more sensitive, the worn surfaces are softer and therefore wear faster, and the aesthetic and structural consequences accelerate. In severe and long-standing cases, the tooth height can be substantially reduced, which changes the bite, increases the load on the jaw joints, and may require complex restorative treatment to restore both function and appearance. The jaw joints themselves can also be affected by the sustained loading that bruxism produces, particularly when the grinding activity is prolonged and intense. The most important thing to understand is that early intervention, identifying bruxism before significant enamel loss has occurred and fitting a night guard to protect the remaining tooth structure, is far simpler and less costly than the restorative treatment required once substantial damage has been done.
Written by Dr. Deepa Jayashankar, MDS (Prosthodontics and Implantology), Fellowship in Temporomandibular Disorders, Orofacial Pain and Sleep Medicine (USA), Founder and Chief Dentist, Tooth Firm Dental Care and Implant Center, HSR Layout, Bengaluru 560102. Phone: +91 8088058704.