“Can grinding your teeth eventually lead to jaw surgery?”
My oldest son grinds his teeth while he sleeps and he's 16 years old, so his teeth are pretty much fully developed. Can grinding his teeth cause issues for his jaw? Would he need surgery eventually?
5 Answers
In addition to causing attrition and wear of your permanent teeth (potentially leading to eventual tooth extraction), those who clench and grind their teeth are at increased risk for temporomandibular joint dysfunction and problems, as the vertical forces transmitted during clenching are transmitted to the joint. TMJ meniscus and disc issues can arise.
It is difficult to predict. Grinding teeth will reduce the height of the tooth crowns, thereby closing the jaw down accompanied with lateral jaw muscle spasms which will require physical therapy.
There would likely be jaw pain issues, or problems with wearing of the teeth before it would reach a stage of needing surgery. At this stage, he should be evaluated for just possibly having a night guard appliance fabricated. This could prevent a lot of future issues very easily.
Yes, grinding teeth can lead to temporomandibular (jaw joint) disease (TMD). If the disease is severe, i.e., constant severe pain, cannot open the mouth, cannot chewing on food, then surgery is necessary. The best option is preventive now by having him seek treatment by an Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon, who can provide some device such as night guard to correct the grinding problem before it becomes worse.
Your son most likely needs a night guard. An evaluation by an Oral Surgeon would be best.
