April Is Stress Awareness Month

We’re no strangers to stress at the lab – and neither are our patients. Like other medical fields, the dental profession sees the effect of stress on its patients. One common problem is bruxing, or grinding of the teeth. While some people grind during the day, it’s common for people to grind their teeth at night (other people may notice the grinding noise at night, leading to initial diagnosis). Night guards can help prevent damage, but sometimes the habit isn’t noticed until the damage is done. Bruxism can cause symptoms such as hypersensitive teeth, aching jaw muscles, and headaches. Over time, bruxism can cause tooth wear, damage teeth, or even break teeth, crowns, and fillings.

Humans can create a huge amount of force on their back teeth, so some restoration choices such as veneers, implants, or e.max won’t stand up to that pressure. Instead, we suggest full zirconia crowns for that same aesthetic look. Often aesthetics must be sacrificed for sturdier restorations. Full gold crowns offer greater mobility and less wear on the underlying tooth. Even then, bruxers may struggle with broken restorations all their life.

Though bruxism can be a seriously damaging habit, our lab offers many solutions to give these patients support and relief.