Face 
Dentistry 
Many people grind or clench their teeth without even realising it. Often occurring during sleep, teeth grinding – also known as bruxism – can place significant pressure on your teeth, jaw joints and facial muscles.
While occasional grinding may not cause long-term problems, persistent teeth grinding can lead to tooth wear, jaw pain and even changes to your smile over time.
Bruxism is the involuntary clenching, grinding or gnashing of the teeth. It can happen during the day, but it most commonly occurs while sleeping.
Because it often happens unconsciously, many people only become aware of the problem when symptoms begin to develop or a dentist identifies signs of wear during a routine examination.
There isn’t always a single cause, but common factors include:
Many people experience a combination of contributing factors.
One of the most noticeable effects of long-term teeth grinding is excessive tooth wear.
Over time, the constant pressure can gradually wear down the enamel, causing teeth to appear flatter, shorter or uneven. This can affect both the appearance and function of your smile.
Grinding places enormous force on the teeth. This can increase the risk of:
As enamel becomes thinner, the underlying dentine can become exposed, making teeth more sensitive to hot, cold or sweet foods and drinks.
Severe tooth wear can alter the height of the bite and affect facial proportions over time. Some people also develop enlarged jaw muscles due to constant clenching.
Common symptoms include:
If you regularly wake up with jaw discomfort or headaches, teeth grinding may be contributing to the problem.
The most appropriate treatment depends on the cause and severity of the problem.
A custom-made night splint is one of the most common ways to manage teeth grinding.
Worn while sleeping, the appliance helps protect the teeth from further wear and can reduce strain on the jaw joints and muscles.
Stress management, improved sleep habits and lifestyle adjustments may help reduce grinding in some patients.
Where grinding has already caused significant tooth wear or damage, restorative dental treatment may be recommended to rebuild and protect affected teeth.
In some cases, facial aesthetics treatments can help reduce the activity of overactive jaw muscles responsible for clenching and grinding.
By relaxing the muscles involved, treatment may help reduce symptoms such as jaw tension, headaches and excessive clenching. During a consultation, your dentist can discuss whether this approach may be suitable for you.
It’s important to seek advice if you are experiencing:
Early intervention can help prevent further damage and reduce the risk of more extensive treatment in the future.
If you are experiencing symptoms of teeth grinding in Portishead, the team at Evolve Dentistry can help.
We can assess the health of your teeth, jaw joints and muscles, identify signs of bruxism, and recommend appropriate treatment options to help protect your smile.
Whether you require a custom-made splint, advice on managing symptoms or support with jaw muscle tension, we’re here to help you maintain a healthy, comfortable smile.
To arrange an appointment, contact our friendly team today.
Read our latest CQC report here
🍰 Come and join us today! 💚
Our Macmillan Coffee Morning is in full swing at Evolve Dentistry, and we’d love to see you!
We’ve got plenty of delicious homemade cakes waiting for you, so pop in, say hello, grab a slice (or two!) and help us raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
We’ll be serving cakes right through until 5pm today, so there’s still plenty of time to come down.
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cakes until 5pm
💚 Everyone is welcome
Come hungry! 😋
#MacmillanCoffeeMorning #MacmillanCancerSupport #Portishead #PortisheadCommunity #EvolveDentistry
🍰☕ Today’s the day - and there’s cake! 💚
Our Macmillan Coffee Morning is happening TODAY at Evolve Dentistry and we’d love you to come and join us.
The Evolve team have been busy baking (and possibly buying… we won’t judge! 😉) and there’ll be plenty of cake and drinks available throughout the day, all in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.
And remember - you don’t need to be an Evolve patient to come along.
If you live or work in Portishead, are passing by, or just fancy an excellent excuse for cake, pop in and see us. Bring a friend, your family or your workmates too!
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cake and drinks throughout the day
💚 Donations for Macmillan Cancer Support
👋 Everyone welcome
No appointment needed - just pop in!
Come and help us eat an unreasonable amount of cake for a very good cause. 💚
Please share so we can get as many people through the doors as possible!
Do I have to replace a missing tooth?
If you`ve lost a tooth, do you have to replace it?
Not necessarily.
And that`s an important starting point.
What happens next depends on which tooth is missing, your mouth, how you bite, how you feel about the gap and what`s happening with the teeth around it.
Yasmin explains some of the things we consider when a tooth is missing.
The important thing isn`t assuming you need a particular treatment.
It`s understanding your options - including whether doing nothing could be a reasonable option for you.
Why have my teeth suddenly become sensitive?
That sudden zing when you drink something cold. 🥶
Sound familiar?
Sensitive teeth are common, but there isn`t just one possible cause.
Richard explains some of the reasons teeth can become sensitive and why it`s worth mentioning if you`ve noticed something new.
Sometimes a little sensitivity is exactly that.
But a change that persists is something we`d rather know about than have you quietly avoiding ice cream for the foreseeable future.
Having a tooth removed probably isn`t an appointment anyone particularly looks forward to.
Which is precisely why feedback like this means so much:
“Made getting a tooth extracted incredibly easy and straightforward.”
Good dental care isn`t only about the procedure itself.
It`s about knowing what`s going to happen, being able to ask questions, feeling listened to and being looked after throughout.
Thank you for trusting us with your care - and for taking the time to tell us about your experience.
☕🍰 Join us for our Macmillan Coffee Morning! 💚
On Friday 25 September, the Evolve team will be swapping dental instruments for cake slices as we take part in the Macmillan Coffee Morning!
Our team will be bringing in their best bakes and we’d love you to pop in, enjoy a slice of cake and a drink, and help us raise as much as possible for Macmillan Cancer Support.
💚 Everyone is welcome - you don’t need to be an Evolve patient.
So whether you’re a patient, friend, neighbour, local business or simply passing by, come in and say hello. Bring your friends, family or work colleagues too!
📅 Friday 25 September
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cakes and drinks available throughout the day
💚 Donations in support of Macmillan Cancer Support
No appointment needed - just pop in!
We’d love to see lots of familiar faces and hopefully meet plenty of new ones too. And, most importantly, eat plenty of cake while raising money for a brilliant cause.
Please share this post and help us spread the word around Portishead. 💚
What can composite bonding actually change?
Composite bonding isn`t about giving everyone the same smile.
It can be used in different ways depending on what someone would like to change.
That might mean adjusting the shape of a tooth, changing proportions, repairing an edge or making a small alteration that helps a smile feel more balanced.
And sometimes bonding isn`t used on its own.
We might combine treatments - perhaps straightening teeth first, whitening them and then using composite bonding to refine particular teeth.
Yasmin explains some of the ways composite bonding can be used.
The important part is deciding what will achieve the result you`re looking for without doing more treatment than is necessary.
