Painless Clenching—Bruxism—Tooth Wear & Chipping

Front teeth worn, rough, uneven, short or chipped

Do your teeth look like any of these in the photographs below? These are examples of what destructive wear can do at differing stages. Most clenchers and bruxers do not complain of any pain; they simply abuse their teeth, unconsciously. Why is this important? Unprotected clenching can destroy the health, beauty and comfort of your smile. How bad does it have to get before you stop the destruction?

A smile with no wear 

Healthy, unworn teeth should like the ones below. No flat wear along the front teeth; cuspids have a gently point, no flattening worn angles. The teeth are smooth, not rough or chipped.

The Clenching Continuim

Many people either have, once had, or will have a clenching disorder. Clenching disorders are more common than you might think. Clenching disorders are the conscious or unconscious squeezing, tapping, clenching, rubbing or grinding of your teeth together at night while you sleep or at times during the day. For some, this disorder causes pain. For others, it goes on unrecognized for years until the health of the mouth can become severely compromised.

The severity of clenching disorders falls into a continuum, with painless clenching on one end and painful clenching on the other.

Smoooooooth!

Smoooooooooth! Your front teeth should be smooth, like well manicured fingernails. If you have a rough fingernail and place your hand into your pocket, you could catch a thread. If you place it quickly, you will tear your fingernail—ouch! If the edges of your front teeth are rough, they are microscopically chipped and ragged. These ragged edges catch and further chip when you chew, weakening and aging these teeth. These rough and chipped edges should be rejuvenated by an edge refinement (equilibration).

Back Teeth Keep on Chipping, Cracking or Breaking

Squeezing on a back tooth long enough will cause it to chip, fracture or even break into several pieces. Ever wonder why you suddenly need a crown or even a root canal due to a cracked back tooth? How did the tooth get cracked in the first place? Nightly clenching can place severe, repeated forces on these back teeth that get more brittle over time. If you find yourself needing multiple crowns on back teeth and don’t know why, clenching could be the cause!

Teeth Do Not Fit Well, Bite is Uneven, Teeth Have Shifted

These are other signs that may indicate a clenching disorder. Clenchers often squeeze, press or rub their teeth together in a specific direction, damaging one group of teeth more than another. These teeth wear, loosen or may even move in the direction of the clenching or grinding. (pictures below). This makes the position of the bite change, leaving a bite that does not fit when the muscles are relaxed or when the person attempts to bring both sides of the back teeth together simultaneously.

Loose Teeth, Localized Gum Loss, Periodontal Disease