Can I Have Implants If I Grind My Teeth?

Q.
Hi there. I have bruxism (grinding/clenching teeth in my sleep) and retainers don’t help. Due to that I have craked my teeth and had to have them extracted. I was given dentures, which I have been wearing for over 2 years. Even though they are vaeloplast flexible ones, I have noticed they are damaging the other teeth they hold onto- I am contemplating implants but because of the bruxism I’m not sure if thats a good idea. The teeth that need replacing are all in the lower part of mouth- I have had 1 implant for the top tooth but the tooth is yet to be put on. I would appreciate your advice on this. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks.
A.
Thank you for your question. If you are a bruxist the management of your whole mouth, bite and function needs to be addressed. It is very important to look at the bigger picture and not just tooth by tooth. Implants can work very well in a bruxist but it requires careful arrangement of all the teeth and how they work together to ensure the forces you create during grinding are minimised and distributed correctly.

Please see a dentist or specialist dentist who understands function and bite management properly.

Best wishes, Mark.

Dr Mark Hughes Harley Street Dental Studio 52 Harley Street, London W1G 9PY Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981 View My Profile Dr Hughes

Leave a Reply