Clenching Your Teeth Can Leave Your Teeth Hurting for Long Periods of Time

Young Woman Suffering From Toothache.Have you ever found yourself clenching your teeth without even realizing you were doing it?

A lot of people have. If you have, too, then you need to bring this up with your dentist.

Chances are, if you have been doing this for a while, then your dentist already knows based on symptoms showing up on your teeth.

However, if this is something relatively new, they need to know so they can keep an eye on the health of your teeth.

What Clenching Your Teeth Can Do

When you clench your teeth, you are putting excess pressure on them for really no reason. You may be trying to focus or stressed out, but you are inadvertently taking it out on your teeth. This can leave your teeth weak, cracked, or even fractured. If you crack or fracture a tooth, you may not realize it right away. However, when you bite down, you will be able to tell something isn’t quite right.

The danger of clenching comes when there is a crack or fracture. Each time you bite down, you open this space in your tooth up, potentially allowing bacteria and germs into that space. This can then grow and infiltrate the root of your tooth, spreading infection to all different parts of your body.

The pain that comes with an infected tooth is not something you want to deal with. It must be cared for by your dentist or oral surgeon, depending on if the tooth can be saved or not. You will also need antibiotics to make sure that you aren’t allowing the infection to spread. If you clench your teeth, keep your dentist apprised. They can help protect your teeth, and keep an eye out for painful problems you may face in the future. If you have any questions, or if you would like to learn more, please contact us today.