Teeth Jaw Clenching Ask The Dentist Questions about Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) in the Dental Health Library

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FAQ: Teeth Grinding

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Question:
Chipping teeth: I am 46 and have had good teeth considering I have not flossed like I should have.

I was looking in the mirror the other day and noticed my front teeth are chipping away and closed my mouth and connected the upper and lower and they chipped as I watched. ...WHY? ... Visitor from OK

Answer:
You, my friend, are a bruxer (grinder of teeth). You have a bite problem where the teeth, or lack thereof, don't fit together properly so when you grind your teeth, the jaw is thrust back and forth, left and right, scraping the front teeth against each other in the process.

After the enamel is worn through, very sharp edges develop which are prone to chipping just like what you have observed. This bruxing continues throughout life and it's not uncommon for people to wear done their front teeth by as much as 50 to 80% making the front teeth look short, fat, with square corners and thin flat irregular edges.

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