| Waking Up with a Sore Jaw Could Spell Bruxism |
Have you ever heard the term bruxism? You may have heard it in passing or as something to watch out for, but if you regularly wake up with a sore jaw, you may be suffering from it without even knowing. Bruxism is when you clench your jaw, grind your teeth, or sometimes both. This is often done when you are asleep, but it can also happen during the day without you even noticing it at first.
Common Treatments for Bruxism
There are two common treatments when we see evidence of bruxism in your mouth. First, we can fit you for a nightguard that you wear when you are clenching and grinding, either awake or when asleep. It protects your teeth from the excess pressure and keeps them safer from the damage that can come from these activities.
Second, we can work with you to figure out ways you can decrease your stress. Stress is the most common cause of clenching and grinding, even if you are doing it subconsciously. If you can reduce your stress, you can often stop this from happening. You may be asked to consider a new hobby, a change of job, or talking with someone about the stress in your life.
Both of these treatments can help decrease the damage bruxism can cause. If you want to find out more about bruxism, speak with us the next time you are in the office for an examination. We can look for evidence of it in your mouth, and talk to you about specific treatments that can help you.
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| Did You Know? Cranberries and Tooth Decay
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Those cranberries you eat at Thanksgiving may hold the potential for stopping tooth decay according to Dr. Hyun Koo, a dentist turned food scientist and microbiologist.
Microbes form sticky plaque on teeth which gives bacteria a place to grow and produce tooth-damaging acid. But Dr. Koo has discovered that cranberries can render such bacteria vulnerable. This means that cavity causing bacteria is unable to stick to the teeth so it can't create cavities. He maintains that "natural substances offer tremendous possibilities for stopping tooth decay."
Rutgers University is home to a center for blueberry and cranberry research where Dr. Koo is working to isolate protective compounds that may ultimately prove to reduce cavities.
This does not mean you should run out and start drinking cranberry juice with every meal because these usually contain lots of sugar. Instead, keep your eye out for toothpastes and mouthrinses containing cranberry extract thus giving you the benefits without the added sugar. But, this is Thanksgiving so go ahead, have another helping of cranberries and if anyone gives you grief tell them your Hygienist said its ok. :)
- Jocelyn Boffing RDH |
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| Halloween Candy Buy Back Results |
| A HUGE thank you to everyone who came and participated in our Halloween Candy Buy Back Event! We received 60lbs of candy that we sent off to our hard working troops. We also sent 150 toothbrushes and travel toothpastes to help keep their pearly whites perfectly healthy while fighting for our country. Thank you again for your support and we look forward to continuing this event next year! |
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