Once the procedure is complete, we often get asked about care for dental implants in Bowmanville. One of the many issues we deal with is teeth grinding, which is a big problem for dental implants as it can eventually cause them to loosen and fail.
Our bite force is tremendous. Imagine that your enamel, the hardest substance in the body, can be worn down by clenching, grinding, biting your nails, etc. Now imagine this bite force during the nighttime when you are asleep. Grinding is a side-to-side motion, while clenching is an up-and-down motion. Some people grind their teeth while others clench, and others do both! Both motions are very intense and typically require more force than is usually needed for daily activities like chewing and eating. The problem is that we have control over this strong bite force to know to stop and cannot know how. During the day, we can at least catch ourselves during stressful moments and stop the habit.
Natural Tooth Versus Dental Implant
Did you know that over 90 percent of patients clench and grind their teeth and are unaware? There are usually no symptoms or pain as it happens gradually. During their checkups, we often notice that the teeth appear ground shorter or flat. Over time, these teeth can develop cracks or fractures and break.
How does grinding or clenching of your jaw relate to dental implants? Unlike natural teeth, dental implants do not have a shock absorber ligament. This means that when pressure is applied, our natural teeth can compensate and ‘give’ a bit to dissipate all that bite force applied. Dental implants are fused to the jaw bone, meaning there is no give. This can lead to porcelain wear, bone loss around the implant, chipping, or dentures breaking in half!
You must have your dental implants routinely checked. We recommend visits at four-month intervals to check the status of your dental implants and the health of your gums. We also highly recommend a device called a night guard a device called a night guard in cases of suspected grinding or clenching. This custom-made appliance the pressure off your dental implants and teeth to prevent problems. We do not recommend store-bought night guards as they are one-size-fits-all, are not thick enough, and can damage or hurt your jaw joint.
For more information about TMJ issues, teeth grinding, or dental implant procedures in Bowmanville, contact our team of Bowmanville dentists today at 905-697-1118.
Sincerely,
Dr Mark Bishara, DDS
