ASK THE DENTIST – TEETH GRINDING

Written by The Specialist Dental Group ®

Q: My husband grinds his teeth at night and it is causing his jaw to ache. What should we do?

Teeth grinding (also known as bruxism) can be caused by various reasons such as stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea). Therefore, it is important for your husband to visit a dental specialist/dentist for a thorough examination to find out the cause, fix any existing damage done to the teeth and prevent it from worsening.

Depending on your husband’s condition, here are a few possible treatment options:

Medication – depending on the medication prescribed, it can help to relieve any pain and inflammation present or to relax the muscle and improve sleep.

Diet adjustments – change to a soft diet and cut food into bite size so as to reduce the amount of chewing required.

Mouthguards – custom made, fitted plastic mouth piece to wear over one’s teeth to protect tooth enamel from being damaged. It will also help to reduce jaw pain and protect the temporomandibular joint.

Botox – these injections help to relax the muscles at the jaw and provide tremendous relief from jaw soreness, headaches and other painful side effects of teeth grinding. Note: check with your dental specialists/dentists if they are certified to use Botox for treatment.

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Dr Ho Kok Sen is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with Specialist Dental Group®. Dr Ho is a mentor, lecturer and examiner to students in the Graduate Diploma in Dental Implantology course at the National University of Singapore. Dr Ho is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Academy of Medicine Singapore. He has a special interest in dental implants, jaw surgery, bone grafting and complex extractions. For more information, visit www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call (65) 6733 7883.

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Specialist Dental Group ® is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services.