Intra-Oral Cameras – What Can You See? Bites and Grinds – Severe – Part 2
The visual technology with its time stamping and storage of images is now an essential part of patient’s notes. Magnified images helps with diagnosis and decision making in treatment options. Images are not only used to eduacte the patient but the dentist as well. The case in point is the surge, with the Covid changed world, of severe teeth wear, muscles problems and jaw joint issues.
This is the wearing way of tooth structure, starting with the enamel, and then the dentine and even exposing the pulp (nerve)!!
Treatment of the destruction of the tooth is to protect the tooth from further wear, to restoring the original shape of the teeth and rehabilitating the bite.
Many times there is collateral damage from grinding one’s teeth. This includes biting the tongue with the sharpened or chipped teeth, or catching the edge of the tongue in a worn tooth “crater” when eating.
However, with severe grinding, the brunt of problems occur with the mucsles of the jaw that are involved with chewing. Spasms occur in the closing/grinding muscles as they get overworked. The closing muscles are not able to relax to allow the weaker jaw opening muscle to open the mouth. This is very painful and is a condition called trismus. The inflammation can lead to swelling and irriation of other muscles such as in the neck.
Seek treatment from the dentist as it is a complicated relationship with the muscles, jaw joint, teeth and even the neck.
Next in Series: Intra-Oral Cameras – What Can You See? Lesions – Part 3
Need an Appointment?
If you’d like to book an appointment with the dentist at Seymour Dental then call us in Dulwich Hill, Sydney on (02) 9564 2397 or
contact us
Next week
Seymour Dental Christmas Celebrations - Whoo Hoo!