What Does Bruxism Do to Implants?

Grinding the teeth gradually wears away the protective enamel on your teeth, leaving them vulnerable to infection and disease. Likewise, bruxism can cause the same problem with a dental implant, wearing away the protective coating until the implant eventually breaks apart. This process can take years, but grinding your teeth can mean you would need to replace your implants several times over the course of your life.



*Can I Still Get Implants If I Grind My Teeth?
The best solution, however, is an innovative material from Prettau Laboratory known as zirconia. The main reason that implants will fail when a patient has bruxism is that the artificial tooth on the implant is typically made of acrylic or porcelain. Although these materials blend in well with your natural teeth, acrylic and porcelain are more likely to chip, break, and wear over time. In contrast, the Prettau restorations made of zirconia are as permanent as it gets. The hardest dental material available, zirconia gives the implant restoration strength and longevity, while our in-house laboratory and dedicated surgical team give you a perfectly fitting set of beautiful and functional teeth.
In some cases, patients can arrive at our facility with dentures or problematic teeth and leave the following day with an implant-supported bridge. This treatment, known as Teeth Tomorrow™, is not suitable for every patient and a consultation is needed to see if you are a candidate.

For those with existing implants, crowns, or other restorations, dentists often recommend wearing a nightguard. The hard plastic device is custom-fit to your mouth and protects your teeth from the force of grinding (as well as clenching).