Teeth grinding, also called Bruxism, is a common dental issue that mostly affects the people you sleep next to, however, eventually it can become bothersome to the overall health of your teeth and gums.
If you wake up with a sore jaw or have visited the dentist recently who has questioned the wear and tear on your teeth, chances are you’re a teeth grinder and if not treated can eventually lead to a range of dental issues and discomfort.
Serial teeth grinders could face challenges when it comes to getting the smile of their dreams, however, with the right help and guidance from an expert orthodontist in Chorley, you could just find that straightening your teeth and relieving bruxism can be done together.
What Causes an Individual to Grind their Teeth?
The cause of teeth grinding is not always clear but is often thought to be related to stress and anxiety. It can also be associated with sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnoea, taking medications such as antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, as well as smoking, taking drugs, and consuming too much alcohol and caffeine.
Other non-physical causes of teeth grinding can be due to the alignment of the teeth and jaw when uneven pressure is distributed across the surfaces of your teeth. This is the type of bruxism that orthodontic treatment can help with.
Can you Have Invisalign Fitted if you Grind your Teeth?
In short, yes you can. Not only can you have Invisalign fitted, but it could actually help you to stop grinding your teeth. By realigning your teeth and your bite, you can reduce the amount of irregular pressure throughout uneven surfaces in your mouth, which in turn lessens the pressure on the temporomandibular joint. The discomfort from this joint is what causes individuals to grind their teeth, as a way to ease the pain and discomfort.
Can Invisalign Actually Help Stop Teeth Grinding?
By wearing Invisalign to help straighten and realign the teeth, you are also helping your jaws meet more harmoniously, which in turn creates a better bite. Having a better bite stops irregular pressure on your teeth and reduces the discomfort on the temporomandibular joint, which In turn should stop individuals from wanting to grind their teeth to ease the pressure.
How Invisalign Works
Invisalign trays are made from flexible, medical-grade, thermo-plastic trays that are created from the current position of your teeth, by using 3D imaging. These images will map out a treatment plan for every tooth and from this, a set of aligners is personally made for you. Your Invisalign aligners will be issued every 1 to 2 weeks and each aligner focuses on the movement of specific teeth, meaning treatment is gentle and much less painful than traditional braces.
It’s essential to wear Invisalign aligners for a minimum of 20 to 22 hours per day, meaning overnight is crucial which is good news for teeth grinders as night-time is when it happens the most. When grinding teeth in the day it’s possible to make more of a conscious effort to stop, compared to being asleep when our unconscious mind is in control.
Considerations for Teeth Grinders Seeking Invisalign
Although we have discovered that Invisalign could help to stop teeth grinding by realigning the teeth and bite, there are some things to take into consideration beforehand, such as:
- If you grind your teeth while wearing Invisalign aligners, they may become damaged or distorted before it is time to change, which could affect the treatment’s effectiveness and require frequent replacements, potentially increasing costs.
- If you’re undergoing Invisalign treatment while grinding your teeth, it may result in uneven wear patterns on your aligners and teeth, making it challenging for the aligners to function properly.
- Teeth grinding can cause jaw pain and discomfort, which may be exacerbated when wearing Invisalign aligners. This discomfort could potentially lead to non-compliance with the treatment plan.
Worried About Teeth Grinding?
If you’re worried about the extra pressure your teeth are under and what that means for your smile there are ways you can manage it, even alongside Invisalign treatment. The first is continuous communication and regular check-ups with your orthodontist to ensure that your aligners are working correctly, and your teeth are moving as they should. It’s also important to find ways to manage stress if you think this is a trigger for your teeth grinding. Consider meditation or yoga, or possibly counselling too, sometimes simply spending more time out in nature can naturally reduce our stress levels. Lastly, it’s important to properly care for your Invisalign aligners, ensuring that you clean and check them regularly so your treatment remains on track.
Speak to an Expert Orthodontist in Chorley
Here at Chorley Orthodontics, we understand the desire for a perfect smile and while we think that all smiles are beautiful, we can help you to achieve your goals. If you want to enquire about how Invisalign could help you, then our team of friendly, passionate, and enthusiastic professionals are on hand to offer the best in advice and guidance, whether you are a teeth grinder or not.
Get in touch today with your specialist orthodontist in Chorley and book your free consultation to see how we can help you.
