Sensitive Teeth

Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can actually wear down the enamel of your teeth. Enamel is the hard, shiny, protective layer over your teeth. Enamel protects the softer tissues of your teeth as well as your tooth’s root. When enamel is worn away, cold or hot foods and drinks can cause pain because your tooth’s root may be exposed! Once your enamel is gone, there’s no way to replace it. Your dentist can tell during your regular checkups if you’re experiencing enamel loss. One of the most common symptoms of loss of enamel is sensitive teeth.

Headaches or Migraines

If you clench your teeth while you’re sleeping, your jaw is essentially exerting great force onto your teeth with no buffer. Experts estimate this amount to be three to ten times as much force as is exerted when chewing food. This is a huge amount of pressure on your teeth! This immense pressure can cause tension headaches, especially migraines.

If you suffer from headaches, especially in the morning, you could be clenching your teeth at night and not know it. Other symptoms of teeth clenching include jaw or facial pain, and your teeth may hurt as well. A custom nightly mouthguard can help protect your teeth from clenching and grinding at night, as they absorb the impact of your teeth clenching!

Chipped or Fractured Teeth

Teeth clenching can lead to chipped or fractured teeth! Chips are unsightly and often evident when you smile. To make matters worse, teeth that have lost enamel are much more susceptible to chips and even cavities. Fractured teeth are also more prone to cavities, and can cause bacteria to get to your tooth’s root. Chipped or fractured teeth may not seem like a big problem, but those cracks in your teeth can lead to bigger cracks and could end up costing you your smile. Teeth are not made to withstand teeth-on- teeth pressure contact, and over time, your teeth could sustain considerable damage from clenching!

Loose Teeth

Because of the impact that teeth clenching has on your gums and the connective tissue that holds your teeth in place, teeth clenching can cause loose teeth. Your gums can become inflamed when exposed to the pressure of teeth clenching and grinding, which can lead to damaged connective ligaments and tissue.

Over time, this will lead your teeth to become loose and they could eventually fall out. Although teeth clenching doesn’t necessarily cause periodontal disease, if you have periodontal disease, teeth clenching can make it worse!

Teeth clenching and grinding has more consequences than you think. This practice can damage your teeth and gums, and increases your risk for tooth damage and tooth loss. Talk to your dentist if you think you clench your teeth at night, and ask him or her about signs of teeth grinding during your next visit. There are steps you can take to stop bruxism!

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Signs and Symptoms

It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer so that you can visit your doctor or dentist if you notice any of the following:

– A sore in the mouth that doesn’t go away.

– Swelling or lumps inside the mouth (including lips or gums).

– White or red patches in the mouth.

– Bleeding from the mouth without a cause.

– Numbness or pain around mouth, face, or neck.

– Difficulty moving your jaw—this may include trouble swallowing, speaking, or chewing.

– Bad breath.

– Weight loss.

While mouth sores are the most common symptom, there are other symptoms you should know, including a change in voice, sore throat, or ear pain. This is why it’s always important to visit your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms!

Risk Factors

You can decrease your risk of getting oral cancer by adjusting your lifestyle. The biggest influential risk factors including smoking or using tobacco products, but did you know that frequent drinkers of alcohol increase their risk of oral cancer by more than six times? The risk increases if you smoke along with drink alcohol frequently. Men are also twice as likely as women to get oral cancer.

Risk factors also include having a family history of cancer or oral cancer, extreme sun exposure, and even human papilloma virus (HPV) may increase your risk for certain cancers. It’s also important to eat well: a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as opposed to one heavy in meat and processed foods could help prevent cancer!

What Can You Do?

Be knowledgeable about oral cancer. Know what the signs and symptoms are so that you can recognize them if they happen to you and visit your doctor or dentist. If oral cancer is suspected, a biopsy will be taken. Regular checkups with your dentist can help to ensure your mouth is healthy, and always talk with your dentist about any symptoms you’re experiencing. You can also manage any risk factors you have that could lead to oral cancer, such as using tobacco products, drinking alcohol often, or exposure to the sun.

Taking the best care of yourself includes knowing what to look out for when it comes to certain diseases, including oral cancer. Over 25% of people who get oral cancer don’t smoke and drink infrequently. Know the signs and symptoms. Manage your risk factors. Visit your dentist regularly. Treatment for oral cancer is most successful when it’s detected early and can save your life!

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