Do You Clench or Grind Your Teeth? Why Getting Treatment is Imperative

Do you ever find yourself clenching your jaw during the day, or do you wake up with a sore jaw and teeth in the morning? Grinding and clenching are also known as bruxism, and it can cause periodontal disease, tension headaches, TMJ soreness, fractures, and broken or loose teeth. Bruxism can be caused by an abnormal alignment of the jaw, or it can be associated with stress, anxiety, or mental health issues. Along with finding ways to limit stress, such as meditation or exercise, it’s critical to seek dental care.

It’s common for individuals to suffer from bruxism for many years before getting treatment. The earlier you get treated, the better, but it’s never too late! The first step is to have your dentist fabricate a dental device, which is similar to a mouth guard that will precisely hold your mouth in the right position. These can be worn at any time, but it’s most important to wear during sleep. The secondary issues that need periodontal treatment are bone loss, damaged teeth, and periodontal disease.

Osseous Surgery
There are several regenerative procedures that periodontists can perform to get your bone structures and teeth healthy again. The primary procedure is osseous surgery to increase bone depth, remove any bacteria and periodontal disease, and to reduce pocket depth around the teeth. This will allow the teeth to regain the support they need within the sockets.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, Procedures that regenerate lost bone and tissue supporting your teeth can reverse some of the damage caused by periodontal disease. Osseous surgery can reverse some of the damage by regenerating lost bone and tissue.1

During this procedure, your periodontist folds back the gum tissue and removes the disease-causing bacteria. Membranes (filters), bone grafts, or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage your body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.1

Eliminating existing bacteria and regenerating bone and tissue helps to reduce pocket depth and repair damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease. With a combination of daily oral hygiene and

professional maintenance care, you’ll increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth – and decrease the chances of other health problems associated with periodontal disease.1

Periodontal Pocket Reduction Procedures
Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth like a turtleneck around your neck. When you have periodontal disease, the supporting tissue and bone are destroyed, forming “pockets” around the teeth.2

Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to live. As bacteria develop around the teeth, they can accumulate and advance under the gum tissue. These deep pockets collect even more bacteria, resulting in further bone and tissue loss. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.2

In the same way as osseous surgery, during this procedure, your periodontist folds back the gum tissue and removes the disease-causing bacteria before securing the tissue into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.2

Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease and to help you maintain a healthy smile. Eliminating bacteria alone may not be sufficient to prevent disease recurrence.2

Viruet Periodontics offers multiple therapeutic options to treat each patient-specific to their needs. They custom-tailor a plan that best suits your lifestyle, along with your dental and oral health requirements.

Viruet Periodontal Services
• Dental Implants
• Periodontal Treatments
• Laser Dentistry
• Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
• Crown Lengthening
• Gum Grafting
• Pinhole Surgical Technique
• Bone Regeneration
• Scaling and Root Planing

Krystal Reyes-Viruet, DMD
Board Certified Periodontist & Implant Surgeon, Diplomate of The American Board of Periodontology, Certified in IV Sedation

A Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, Board Certified Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon and an IV Sedation provider, Dr. Krystal Reyes Viruet has many talents. She attended the University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill where she completed a three year Periodontology Residency, and Master of Sciences. Dr. Reyes Viruet completed a general practice and hospital residency at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine where she had the opportunity to treat severely medically compromised patients, as well as, oral cancer patients. Dr. Reyes Viruet graduated with a Doctorate in Dental medicine from the University of Puerto Rico where she distinguished herself first in her class! She trained at the Pinhole Academy and became a Certified Pinhole Technique Surgeon. She also became a Certified Laser Periodontal Surgeon.

To find out more please call (239) 344-8750 or visit Dentistinfortmyers.com.

Viruet Periodontics
34 Barkley Circle
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 344-8750
Dentistinfortmyers.com

References:
1. American Academy of Periodontology, Regenerative Procedures, 2019, Chicago, IL https://www.perio.org/consumer/gum-disease-regenerative-procedure
2. American Academy of Periodontology, Pocket Reduction, 2019, Chicago, IL https://www.perio.org/consumer/pocket-reduction-procedures.htm