For many people, dental implants are the ideal solution for replacing any number of teeth. But while implant surgery does have an extremely high rate of success, you do need to be aware of risk factors that could lead to failure. One of the biggest threats to your new teeth is bruxism, which is when you involuntarily grind and clench your teeth at night. But does that mean you can’t get implants at all if you already have bruxism? Here’s what you need to know to keep your restored smile safe.
How Bruxism Puts Dental Implants at Risk
When you’re grinding and clenching your teeth due to bruxism, your jaw muscles exert an excessive amount of force on the rest of your mouth. As a result, the enamel protecting your natural teeth will wear down at an accelerated rate, and you may even suffer damage to your jawbone.
If you have dental implants, the consequences can potentially be even worse. Implant posts need to fuse with the jawbone via a process called osseointegration. However, putting too much pressure on the posts can stop osseointegration from occurring. As a result, bruxism and dental implants are usually a bad combination, as frequent grinding and clenching could easily cause your new teeth to fail.
So Does Bruxism Stop You From Getting Dental Implants?
Given the issues discussed above, you might think that bruxism disqualifies you as a candidate for dental implants. But this doesn’t have to be the case! As long as your gums and jawbone remain healthy and strong enough to support the posts, dental implants can still be an excellent solution for the gaps in your grin. You’ll simply need to take the right precautions to make sure that bruxism doesn’t disrupt osseointegration.
Luckily, protecting your dental implants (and your natural teeth) from bruxism can be as simple as wearing a nightguard. The appliance acts as a barrier between the upper and lower rows of teeth so that they don’t make direct contact with each other. This is typically enough to keep your smile safe from the worst effects of grinding and clenching.
Keep in mind that while bruxism usually happens at night, it can also occur during the day. If you ever find yourself clenching your teeth without meaning to, try to actively relax your jaw. It may also be a good idea to stay away from caffeine, which can potentially trigger muscle activity that contributes to bruxism.
As long as you take steps to keep your bruxism under control, you should still be able to enjoy the benefits of sturdy, reliable dental implant posts. Schedule a consultation with your dentist today to find out whether you’re a good candidate for the dental implant procedure as well as what solutions they offer for bruxism.
About Shinkawa Dental
At Shinkawa Dental, patients benefit from the expertise of an entire family of dentists. With 40 combined years of experience, we help Fresno families enjoy healthy, beautiful smiles with our wide array of treatment options. Not only can we provide nightguards for bruxism, but we also provide dental implants in-house. To schedule an appointment, visit our website or call (559) 226-5656.