What causes the cracking of molars?
For years, I thought the answer was simple: popcorn. Now that I’m on my third cracked molar and my third crown, I finally have a little better answer: clenching. Simply put, clenching or grinding teeth weakens them and makes them prone to cracking. And up to 80% of people clench, many at night when they are not even aware of it!
I am studiously avoiding blame casting. The fact is I have been able to afford to get the dental treatment I need and I have a wonderful dentist. For that, I am grateful! But I want to share this in the event it could be helpful to someone else.
The math of the matter is this: a $300 night guard may have prevented all of my cracked teeth. If it had prevented even one it would have more than paid for itself, even factoring in insurance. You see, insurance will pay half of the cost of a crown; so for each of my three crowns, my “co-pay” has been approximately $600. Double the cost of the prevention.
As soon as I get this crown paid for, I’m getting a night guard.
The night guard is a great idea. But most people who clench enough to cause that kind of damage are doing it because there is an underlying stress issue. You may want to also think about relaxation techniques to reduce the stress as well–which will not only help your teeth, but other parts of life and health! Good luck, and sorry to hear of the dental dilemmas.
It’s hard to know what causes the clenching, since it happens at night. One definite contributor is allergies and sinus pressure.
*chuckle* And I told the hero last night that I think I might be more relaxed if I got to bed earlier. I think I clench because I’m trying to sleep faster! lol