SCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ CA
Not getting enough sleep can cause a plethora of health concerns. The American Sleep Association states that ten percent of adults and 15 percent of children suffer from bruxism. This medical condition causes jaw clenching and teeth grinding while you sleep. Although the situation may seem harmless, there are several concerns about the damage it could cause to your teeth, jaw, and overall health. An estimated 80 percent of adults suffer from the condition, and they may not know they have it until their dentist identifies it or other health complications surface. Your leading dentists in Scotts Valley at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry are sharing five ways your sleep quality and overall health are suffering from this condition.
Clenching and Grinding Lead to Dental Damage
Frequently clenching your jaws and grinding your teeth while sleeping can cause significant damage to your oral health and physical health. In addition to the pain that radiates through your neck and head, it could also cause jaw misalignment if not addressed. Also, bruxism can wear down your teeth from the pressure of grinding, possibly resulting in cracking or breaking your teeth. Los Gatos neuromuscular dentists at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry can examine your teeth to diagnose the condition accurately.
Bruxism Causes Consistent Headaches
Although bruxism mostly occurs while you sleep, it could have a direct effect on you throughout your daily routine. With frequent headaches, earaches, jaw pains, and neck pain, it could make it difficult to focus on your everyday tasks. Waking with sore jaws or regular headaches with no other medical explanation could be the result of bruxism, and our neuromuscular dentists in Santa Cruz at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry can help.
A Condition Showing Signs of Stress
Bruxism is commonly related to patients who suffer from high levels of anxiety, stress, or anger, according to the National Sleep Foundation. However, our Scotts Valley dentists advise that a few other causes or triggers for bruxism could be snoring, fatigue, alcohol consumption, or smoking. If you have a stressful job or are going through a difficult season in life, your bruxism could be your body’s way of relieving stress and anxiety while you sleep. But, it should not go untreated.
Clenching and Grinding Leads to Disrupted Sleep
Bruxism may lead to sleep disruptions causing you to feel like you did not get enough sleep. Bruxism occurs typically in the first sleep stage, according to the American Sleep Association. The early stage is just before REM sleep and can occur in more than one cycle. As you clench and grind your teeth, you could interrupt your standard sleep patterns delaying REM sleep, or it could cause you to wake without entering the stage of deep sleep. Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry offers treatment to protect your teeth against the effects of bruxism. A custom-made oral appliance can be worn while you sleep to absorb the impact of your bruxism. Relieving this tension on your teeth and jaws will result in more restful sleep.
The Presence of an Underlying Sleep Disorders
According to the Bruxism Association, nocturnal bruxism is not a condition that occurs with no triggers, underlying health problems, or other causes. Bruxism could be the result of other sleep conditions such as sleep apnea or snoring, which could originate from an obstruction in your airway. To find out if you suffer from a sleep condition, contact your sleep apnea dentists in Santa Cruz at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry for the necessary exams and treatment recommendations so that you can get a restful night’s sleep.
Bruxism Treatment in Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley, California
Trying to get through the day feeling tired all of the time can become disastrous, filled with mistakes and accidents. If you are not sleeping well or suspect you have a sleep condition causing additional health concerns, feel free to contact your professional sleep dentists in Scotts Valley at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry. Our team of well-trained dentists can help you achieve a better quality of sleep so that you can enjoy a better quality of life. Contact our office today by calling (831) 438-4411 or request an appointment online.
