Can I Get Dental Implants If I Grind My Teeth?
Dr. Bruce J. Wilderman and his team pride themselves on creating durable dental implant restorations for patients who are missing teeth. Thanks to dental implants, tooth gaps can be filled without the need for denture creams or other kinds of dental adhesives. Yet despite the advantages of implant dentistry, teeth grinding could put a person’s implants at risk.
When you visit our dental office in Doylestown, PA, we’ll consider the overall health of your smile and any medical conditions that could result in complications. Let’s consider how teeth grinding affects dental implants.
What Is Teeth Grinding?
Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding occurs when a person gnashes, clenches, or shifts their teeth while they are asleep.
Causes of Bruxism
Teeth grinding is often caused by any of the following or a combination of the following:
- Stress
- Tooth misalignment
- Use of certain medications
- Parkinson's disease
- Sleep apnea
- ADHD
How Teeth Grinding Can Affect Dental Implants
A dental implant is surgically placed into the jawbone. Over a few months, the implant fuses with the bone itself, a process called osseointegration.
Teeth grinding basically puts osseointegration at risk.
Negative Effects While Healing from Oral Surgery
If you grind your teeth while recovering from dental implant surgery, it can lead to serious pain and discomfort. In addition, the pressure can affect the position and placement of the implant during a critical healing period.
The Risk of Implant Failure
If your teeth grinding goes untreated, it can potentially cause your implant to fail. This is particularly true in the early stages of implant dentistry treatment.
Will Teeth Grinding Damage My Implant Restorations?
Implant-supported crowns, bridges, and dentures are very strong, but they are not indestructible. Just like your regular teeth, they are subject to wear and tear.
People who grind their teeth are more likely to damage their implant restorations and need them to be replaced sooner.
Treating and Managing Teeth Grinding
We have different methods for treating bruxism at our Doylestown dentistry practice. They include:
- Custom Night Guard - A night guard is worn while a person is asleep. This custom retainer helps keep spaces between the upper and lower teeth during the night. Rather than making contact, the teeth apply pressure just to the night guard. Patients should experience less soreness upon waking, and the damage to the implants and implant restorations should be minimized.
- Orthodontics - If you still have some natural teeth remaining, you may benefit from adult orthodontics. Improving overall tooth alignment can help prevent teeth grinding. We can discuss the use of Invisalign®, adult braces, or other options as part of a consultation.
- Stress-Management Techniques - Daily stress can be a major contributing factor to teeth grinding. There are different ways of relieving stress, and many of them are simple lifestyle changes. Working with our team and your general practitioner, you can reduce the nightly grind and improve your quality of life.
Bottom Line: People Can Still Get Implants Even If They Grind Their Teeth
Just because you grind your teeth doesn’t mean you can’t get dental implants. Come by for a visit and we can provide our honest opinion about what treatment is best for you.
Get The Treatment You Need
Contact Dr. Wilderman Today
Teeth grinding isn’t the end of a dental implant journey. By visiting our Doylestown dental practice, you can find out more. We encourage you to contact our dental practice serving Bucks County. We’ll offer our insight during a personal consultation.