Part 1: Understanding Bruxism
Teeth grinding is a relatively common condition; indeed, most people will grind their teeth on occasion.  Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is usually harmless for people who only engage in the behavior from time to time, but regular teeth grinding has more serious implications on your oral and overall health.  While teeth grinding has traditionally been considered a result of stress or anxiety, there are other clinical factors such as missing or crooked teeth or an irregular bite that are associated with the condition.  Still, regardless of the underlying causes of regular teeth grinding, the myriad complications associated with teeth grinding are plenty reason to seek treatment.
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From gum disease, enamel erosion, and gingivitis to crowded teeth, poor dental fillings, problems with wisdom teeth, and even orthodontic treatments, there are controllable and uncontrollable factors that can make brushing your teeth a challenge.  In the second part of this article discussing said challenges, we will switch the focus to those factors that are beyond the control of the individual.  Still, regardless of the reasons that brushing your teeth is difficult, maintaining proper dental hygiene is an important component in your overall health.
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Part 1: The Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay
Originally developed to help athletes rehydrate quickly and efficiently, sports drinks have become a popular beverage choice for North Americans regardless of their activity level.  Many people may make the mistake of believing that sports drinks are a health alternative to sugar sodas or juice because they are consumed by athletes.  Yet, the sugary and acidic contents of sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade are significantly higher than one would expect; and as such, these drinks are associated with a variety of health consequences including tooth damage.  Still, before we discuss the recent research linking sports drinks to tooth damage, let us first review the causes and symptoms of tooth decay.

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Brushing and flossing each day is essential for one to take good care of their teeth. But sometimes, with brushing, you can get carried away with the act itself and cause more harm than good. This is called toothbrush abrasion. When you experience toothbrush abrasion, you are damaging your teeth due to improper brushing. But just what is improper brushing and how can you prevent it? If you are ready to take better care of your teeth, then it is important that you understand this principle. In order to do so, you should adhere to the steps that follow and resolve to first do no harm.
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One may not often consider talk of eating disorders and tooth decay in the same sentence, but the two are actually quite related to one another. While not every person with bad teeth will have them because of eating disorders, every person with eating disorders will have bad teeth. Of course, the signs may not be noticeable at first but when the eating disorder, such as bulimia and anorexia, pass to a certain point, it will be impossible to hide it from the dentist. The very nature of these disorders cause problems that can potentially destroy the teeth and lead to serious dental problems. If you or someone you know suffer from an eating disorder, then here are some things that you should consider about the way that it affects your oral health.

First of all, bulimia involves the vomiting up of ingested foods. These foods have typically gone through stomach acids, which, on the way back up through the mouth, erode the tooth enamel, which protects the teeth and gives them strength. The more that a person engages in bulimia, the more damage these stomach acids can do to the mouth as a whole. It is for this reason that dentists are often the first people, who notice there is an eating disorder that needs medical attention.
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