Tooth grinding (also known as bruxism) is frequently linked to stress or an unconscious attempt to smooth out an uneven bite.  Grinding causes excessive wear on teeth and can even cause teeth to break. Tooth grinding is one of the leading causes of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ disorders or TMD).  The temporomandibular joint is the joint that attaches the lower jaw (the mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull.  The grinding of the teeth exerts a great deal of pressure on the TMJ joint and can cause pain in the face, temples, neck and shoulders; a limited ability to open the mouth very wide; jaws that get “stuck” in either the open or closed position; difficulty chewing.

Here are the steps to take in order to stop grinding your teeth while you are sleeping:

1. Schedule an appointment with your dentist, who will make a custom-fit mouthpiece for you to wear when you go to bed.  The mouthpiece will hault any further damage to your teeth, as well as reduce your tendency to grind.

2. Request that your dentist file down any “high spots” in your teeth that interfere with a comfortably aligned bite.  This will reduce your desire to grind caused by discomfort in the way your teeth fit together.

3. Press a warm, damp cloth on your face in the area of the jaw joints for at least 10 minutes prior to going to bed.  This will aid in claming the muscles of the jaw and relaxing you, in general.

4. Make an effort to relax and unwind from the stress and tensions of the day by stretching, meditating, taking a hot bath, or any other activity that makes you feel relaxed.

5. Reduce you consumption of caffeine and alcohol, as these have been linked to an increase in  bruxism.

6. Learn to manage your stress more effectively.  This can be done by learning relaxation techniques and taking stress-management classes.

Protecting your teeth from bruxism is important not only for the health of your teeth and mouth, it is important for prtecting your ability to talk and eat without discomfort.  If you wake with headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, or you teeth appear ground down or misaligned, promptly schedule an appointment with your dentist.  Protecting your teeth early will ensure that you are able to keep them as long as possible.

Baby teeth that are accidentally knocked out are not a problem, because a child would have eventually lost them anyway.  However, if a permanent tooth gets knocked out, there is a limited window of time in which a dentist will be able to reimplant  it.

It is also possible for a dentist to repair a chipped or damaged tooth.  An impact hard enough to chip a tooth has the potential to move several teeth out of alignment or to have broken the bone that holds a tooth in place.

In the event that any of these things happen, it is imperative to contact your dentist immediately for an emergency visit.  Reimplanting of a tooth is most effective if it can be completed within 30 minutes of being knocked out.  If the time passes the 2 hour mark, it is quite unlikely that the procedure will be successful.  Your dentist will be forced to make a false tooth to fill the hole left by the missing tooth.

In order to keep the tooth alive during the transportation process, clean the tooth and either place it back into the socket (where it came from), between the cheek and gum.  Make sure to use extra care to keep from swallowing it.  An alternative choice would be to transport the tooth submerged in a small container of milk.  Do not put the tooth into tap water, as it will die.

When dealing with accidental tooth loss, time is a factor in the ability of your dentist to save your tooth.  No matter how skilled the dentist, it is very unlikely that he or she will be able to salvage your tooth if you do not act quickly.  It is always wise to protect your teeth when engaging in activities where tooth damage frequently occurs, a mouth guard can be purchased at nearly any sporting goods store for only a few dollars, and save you a great deal of pain and nuisance.  Some people wear mouth guards anytime they partake in any type of sporting events, and in so doing, greatly reduce the risk of losing or damaging any of their teeth.

If you have sensitive teeth, you may experience pain during brushing, when your teeth are exposed to hot and/or cold temperatures, or when you are eating something that is very sweet.  The following are some tips to help you care for and protect your sensitive pearly whites:

1. Schedule an appointment with your dentist.  He or she may be able to seal the sensitive area on a tooth or teeth with a bonding agent to protect the tooth.  Your dentist may also choose to write you a prescription for fluoride gel, which can be massaged into the gums immediately after brushing.

2. Only use toothbrushes with extra-soft bristles.  You should also avoid brushing your teeth in a horizontal motion, as this can expose a tooth’s roots.

3. Switch the type of toothpaste that you use to a variety that is made specifically for sensitive teeth.

4. Make an effort to abstain from stimuli that causes pain.  Hot or cold food like coffee or ice cream, acidic beverages, like grapefruit juice or wine, and sweet or sour foods, such as candy or lemons.  Most of the food and beverages listed here cause significant pain for people with sensitive teeth.

Anyone who has ever experienced any kind of tooth discomfort or pain, usually wants to try their best to keep from experiencing it again.  Taking good care of your teeth can sometimes help to limit some of the tenderness and discomfort that can come from poor dental hygiene.  Also, frequent use of toothpaste designed for people with sensitive teeth, can aid in the overall sensitivity of your teeth, by calming the nerves inside, as well as blocking some of the open pores in teeth that lead straight to the dentin (the pulp of the tooth).  Repeated use of a sensitivity toothpaste helps to build a stronger barrier between the tender dentin and pain-inducing stimulation.

A cleft palate is a birth defect that happens when the roof of a baby’s mouth does not develop correctly while in the womb.  This causes an opening or “cleft” in the roof of the baby’s mouth that may go all of the way to the baby’s nasal cavity.  It is possible for a cleft to form on any part of the palate.  A cleft palate may appear alone as the only birth defect, or in combination with other birth defects of the face and skull.  A cleft lip is a birth defect that is commonly seen in children with cleft palates.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are the most commonly occurring birth defects of the head and neck.  Until a cleft palate is surgically repaired, the child can experience issues with feeding, hearing, and speaking.

Although the causes of a cleft palate are not well understood, there is some evidence that a baby is more likely to have this birth defect if the mother takes certain medications while she is pregnant, smokes while she is pregnant, uses alcohol or illegal drugs while she is pregnant, the mother is exposed to infection or radiation while pregnant, or there is a history of cleft palates in the family.  It is extremely important to take care of yourself when you are pregnant to ensure the overall health of your baby.

Some forms of cleft palate are easily identifiable and affect the overall look of the baby’s face.  However, cleft palates that do not change the outward appearance of a baby’s face are generally visible when looking in the baby’s mouth.

The location of the cleft is actually far more important than how the cleft looks.  For example, a small cleft in the south palate is likely to cause more problems than a large visible cleft, because of the affect on speech.

Many babies with cleft palates have difficulty feeding because they are not able to suck or swallow normally.  This may not always be the case, especially if  the cleft is treated.

Cleft palates are relatively easy to diagnose.  A physician will examine the baby’s mouth shortly after birth.

Fetal ultrasounds can sometimes find cleft palates as early as 14 to 16 weeks into the pregnancy.  For this to happen, the cleft palate usually has to be quite severe and occur with a cleft lip.  Ultrasounds are not always able to pick up the birth defect, so doctors do not rely on fetal ultrasounds to diagnose cleft palates.

Treatment for a cleft palate usually involves surgery and is scheduled between 12 and 18 months of age.  The child may require several surgeries to completely treat a cleft palate, but the condition is typically resolved by the time the child reaches his teens.

Some children with cleft palates require further treatment for other issues, such as  hearing, speech, or teeth problems; sinus and ear infections; and problems from surgery.