Identifying Tooth Wear

Pathological tooth wear occurs when you grind or clench your teeth.  One of the main causes of this is stress.  Believe it or not, most of the time subconsciously, we clench and grind our teeth to deal with the stress in our lives!   Unfortunately, this can lead to:

1. Vertical and horizontal fractures, leading to future breakage    
2. Advanced wear and flattening on the incisal (biting) edges of your upper and lower teeth
3. “Notches”on the neck (at gum line) of teeth due to abnormal bending forces
4. Flat or worn biting surfaces of your back teeth, with crater like wear

These changes to your teeth are irreversible! Once these irreversible changes have occurred, your teeth may become sensitive, more prone to breakage, and lead to TMJ issues. One of the ways to prevent this is through the use of a custom-made night guard.  Feel free to call Dr. Huang, a dual-board certified prosthodontist who is an expert in bite issues, to get your evaluation. Then you really will be able to sleep better at night.