Many people grind their teeth in their sleep without knowing it, until the damage shows up. Christopher Sprout, a dentist in Denver, Colorado, sees the effects of nighttime grinding often, and he treats it as a problem worth catching early. Christopher Sprout looks not only at the wear itself but at what is causing it.
Christopher Sprout, DDS, treats grinding as a signal worth reading rather than a habit to simply cover up.
A Habit That Happens in Your Sleep
Grinding and clenching during sleep, known as bruxism, happens without the person being aware of it. Christopher Sprout, DDS, often spots it before the patient does, from the pattern of wear on the teeth.
Because it happens at night, a patient may only notice the side effects: a sore jaw in the morning, sensitive teeth, or a partner who hears the grinding.
Sprout treats those clues seriously, since bruxism left alone tends to keep wearing the teeth down over time.
Christopher Sprout would rather intervene at the first quiet signs than wait for the wear to become obvious and permanent.
The Damage Grinding Causes
The force of grinding is greater than most people expect, and it adds up night after night. Christopher Sprout sees flattened, chipped, and cracked teeth that trace back to the habit.
The damage is not limited to the teeth. Grinding can strain the jaw joint and the muscles around it, leading to soreness, headaches, and the kind of jaw problems that reach well beyond the mouth.
Christopher Sprout, DDS, also watches for grinding around dental work, since the extra force can shorten the life of fillings, crowns, and implants.
Sprout points out that repairing worn or cracked teeth is far harder than protecting them in the first place.
Why People Grind
Stopping the grinding means understanding why it happens, and Christopher Sprout looks for the cause rather than just the symptom. Stress is a common factor, and so is an unbalanced bite.
In some cases, grinding is tied to the airway and disrupted sleep, which is why Sprout asks about how a patient sleeps. The jaw and the airway are more connected than they seem.
By finding the driver, Sprout can aim treatment at the root of the habit instead of only guarding against its effects.
For Christopher Sprout, treating the cause is what turns a temporary guard into a lasting fix.
Protecting the Teeth
A custom night guard is often the first step Christopher Sprout recommends. Worn during sleep, it absorbs the force of grinding and shields the teeth from further wear.
Sprout pairs that protection with addressing the cause, whether that means looking at the bite, the airway, or the stress behind the clenching. The guard protects, and the deeper work aims to reduce the grinding itself.
For patients in Denver and across Colorado, Christopher Sprout treats grinding as a problem with a solution. Caught early, it is far easier to manage than the damage it leaves behind.
Comfort, Sprout finds, is the difference between a guard that works and one that gets abandoned.
Christopher Sprout, DDS, is a dentist in Denver, Colorado. Read more about his approach to orofacial pain and TMD or about a dentist’s role in treating sleep apnea.