Dental Factoid
As of 1999, there were 164,664 professionally active dentists (dentists using their dental degree in some fashion), and 152,151 active private practitioners in the U.S. For more information, see the Distribution of Dentists in the U.S. by region and state.
As of 1999, there were 164,664 professionally active dentists (dentists using their dental degree in some fashion), and 152,151 active private practitioners in the U.S. For more information, see the Distribution of Dentists in the U.S. by region and state.
Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, is often viewed as a harmless, though annoying, habit. Some people develop bruxism from an inability to deal with stress or anxiety.
However, teeth grinding can literally transform your bite relationship and worse, severely damage your teeth and jaws over long periods of time.
Teeth grinding can cause abrasion to the chewing surfaces of your teeth. This abnormal wear and tear will prematurely age and loosen your teeth, and open them to problems such as hypersensitivity (from the small cracks that form, exposing your dentin.) Bruxism can also lead to chronic jaw and facial pain, as well as headaches.
If no one has told you that you grind your teeth, here are a few clues that you may suffer from bruxism:
- Your jaw is often sore, or you hear popping sounds when you open and close your mouth.
- Your teeth look abnormally short or worn down.
- You notice small dents in your tongue.