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Have you been having trouble getting a good night’s rest?

Sometimes the reason for a poor night’s sleep is obvious. A midnight horror movie. A bedtime espresso. That anchovy and pineapple pizza you had for dinner. Not much we can do about these problems.

Sometimes, though, the cause of your sleep difficulties is dental in origin, and that is something Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson can help with.

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is a very common dental problem. When people with this condition sleep, their jaws clench and their teeth grind against each other throughout the night. When to suspect you might suffer from bruxism?

• You wake with a sore jaw, or you hear pops or clicks when you move your jaw
• You suffer from frequent headaches or facial pain
• Your teeth are chipped, cracked, flattened, worn down, or sensitive
• You wake up tired, because grinding affects the quality of your sleep
• Partners, siblings, or roommates complain about nocturnal grinding noises affecting the quality of their

Pain and fatigue are unpleasant enough, but there are additional serious consequences for those who suffer from bruxism. Our jaws are extremely powerful, and clenching and grinding can put hundreds of pounds on pressure on teeth and jaws over hours of sleep. These forces can lead to:

• Damaged teeth. Cracked, chipped, and worn down teeth can mean veneers, crowns, and root canals. Seriously compromised or broken teeth might need to be extracted.
• Damaged dental work. Bruxism can lead to fractured veneers and damaged fillings and crowns. If the damage is too serious for repair, replacement might be necessary.
• Damaged jaw joints. Severe cases of bruxism can lead to injury to the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, the complex hinge that allows our jaws to move up and down, back and forth, and side to side.

While these problems can be treated with restorations, or root canals, or implants, or surgical procedures, prevention is clearly a much better option for a healthy smile. And one of the simplest and most effective treatments for preventing the damage caused by bruxism is a night guard.

Night guards fit over the affected teeth to prevent them from touching directly, saving tooth and enamel from injury and wear. Not only do night guards prevent contact, they spread the biting forces of the jaw over the surface of the guard to greatly reduce their impact. And because they also stop the jaw muscles from clenching tightly, there’s no excess stress placed on the temporomandibular joint.

While over-the-counter products are available, it’s best to see Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson for the most effective night guard. A custom night guard is designed to fit your individual teeth and mouth perfectly. Impressions or 3D scans are taken in our Romeoville, IL office, and a guard is fabricated with the precise shape, strength, and thickness you need to protect your teeth. And, as a bonus, custom night guards offer the most comfortable fit for the most comfortable night’s sleep.

Scary movies, late night caffeinating, creative food combinations—not much we can do about those! But if you’re suffering lost sleep and painful mornings because of tooth grinding, give us a call. A night guard just might be the key to sweet dreams.

For most of our oral health care needs, our family dentist is the perfect person to see. Examinations, cleanings, treating cavities, restorations such as fillings and crowns, preventive care—you’ve probably seen your regular dentist for many of these procedures.

And when it comes to treating mild gum disease, known as gingivitis, your dentist is a good person to call. If you’ve noticed bleeding gums, or gum pain when brushing, or redness, or recurring bad breath, you might have gingivitis. Often, with more attention to brushing and flossing and a professional cleaning, your gums will be healthy again in no time.

Gingivitis, though, is not the only type of gum disease. Periodontitis is the medical term for advanced gum disease, and this type of gum disease is progressive, becoming more serious over time. Untreated periodontitis can lead to infection, inflammation, and loss of tooth and bone.

If you have serious gum disease, it’s time to visit Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson. Periodontists are specialists with years of advanced training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of the structures supporting your teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligaments, and surrounding bone.

Here are four very good reasons to give our Romeoville, IL periodontal office a call:

• Receding gums

If you’ve noticed that you’re seeing more tooth than you’re used to, this could be a sign of receding gums. Besides affecting the appearance of your smile, gum recession can impact your dental health.

When gums pull away from the teeth, the top of the roots, which were once protected by healthy gum tissue, are now exposed to bacteria and plaque. Because our roots are covered by cementum, which is softer than enamel, they are more vulnerable to decay, and decay progresses more quickly than it does in the tooth crown.

• Infected/inflamed periodontal pockets

When the gums pull away from the teeth, a pocket forms between tooth and gum. Bacteria and plaque collect here, where your toothbrush can’t reach, leaving you at risk for abscess and infection.

A periodontal abscess is a pocket filled with pus which forms between tooth and gum. Beyond the swelling and pain caused by an abscess, infection can spread, damaging connective tissue and bone in the jaw, and potentially spreading to other parts of the body.

• Loose teeth

A loose baby tooth is a welcome surprise for a child—a loose adult tooth? Not so much! Loose permanent teeth can be caused by several conditions, including an injury, osteoporosis, and pregnancy. But the one of the most common causes of loose teeth in adults is periodontitis.

Periodontal infection and inflammation can damage the ligaments and bone that support the teeth and hold them firmly in place. This damage results in loose teeth and can lead to tooth loss if left untreated.

• Your dentist’s recommendation

If your dentist has suggested a periodontal consultation at High Point Dental Group, please follow this advice!

What can a periodontist do for you?

• Receding gums can be treated with gum grafts when the recession is extensive, both to protect the roots of your teeth and to enhance the appearance of your smile.
• To prevent the formation of deep periodontal pockets, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson might suggest scaling and root planing procedures, non-surgical deep cleaning treatments which encourage gum tissue to reattach to smooth, clean teeth. If necessary, pockets can be cleaned and gum tissue re-secured around the teeth with pocket reduction surgery.
• When the bone structure has been damaged, bone and tissue grafts can regenerate and restore structural integrity.

Periodontitis is progressive, and, as time goes by, infection and inflammation will continue to do damage to the gums, ligaments, and bone that support your teeth. Your Romeoville, IL periodontal team is an invaluable resource for treating periodontitis and for preventing its recurrence. So if you suffer from gum disease, let’s finish with one more reason to see Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson: working together proactively for a lifetime of attractive, healthy smiles.

For most of our oral health care needs, our family dentist is the perfect person to see. Examinations, cleanings, treating cavities, restorations such as fillings and crowns, preventive care—you’ve probably seen your regular dentist for many of these procedures.

And when it comes to treating mild gum disease, known as gingivitis, your dentist is a good person to call. If you’ve noticed bleeding gums, or gum pain when brushing, or redness, or recurring bad breath, you might have gingivitis. Often, with more attention to brushing and flossing and a professional cleaning, your gums will be healthy again in no time.

Gingivitis, though, is not the only type of gum disease. Periodontitis is the medical term for advanced gum disease, and this type of gum disease is progressive, becoming more serious over time. Untreated periodontitis can lead to infection, inflammation, and loss of tooth and bone.

If you have serious gum disease, it’s time to visit Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson. Periodontists are specialists with years of advanced training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of the structures supporting your teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligaments, and surrounding bone.

Here are four very good reasons to give our Romeoville, IL periodontal office a call:

• Receding gums

If you’ve noticed that you’re seeing more tooth than you’re used to, this could be a sign of receding gums. Besides affecting the appearance of your smile, gum recession can impact your dental health.

When gums pull away from the teeth, the top of the roots, which were once protected by healthy gum tissue, are now exposed to bacteria and plaque. Because our roots are covered by cementum, which is softer than enamel, they are more vulnerable to decay, and decay progresses more quickly than it does in the tooth crown.

• Infected/inflamed periodontal pockets

When the gums pull away from the teeth, a pocket forms between tooth and gum. Bacteria and plaque collect here, where your toothbrush can’t reach, leaving you at risk for abscess and infection.

A periodontal abscess is a pocket filled with pus which forms between tooth and gum. Beyond the swelling and pain caused by an abscess, infection can spread, damaging connective tissue and bone in the jaw, and potentially spreading to other parts of the body.

• Loose teeth

A loose baby tooth is a welcome surprise for a child—a loose adult tooth? Not so much! Loose permanent teeth can be caused by several conditions, including an injury, osteoporosis, and pregnancy. But the one of the most common causes of loose teeth in adults is periodontitis.

Periodontal infection and inflammation can damage the ligaments and bone that support the teeth and hold them firmly in place. This damage results in loose teeth and can lead to tooth loss if left untreated.

• Your dentist’s recommendation

If your dentist has suggested a periodontal consultation at High Point Dental Group, please follow this advice!

What can a periodontist do for you?

• Receding gums can be treated with gum grafts when the recession is extensive, both to protect the roots of your teeth and to enhance the appearance of your smile.
• To prevent the formation of deep periodontal pockets, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson might suggest scaling and root planing procedures, non-surgical deep cleaning treatments which encourage gum tissue to reattach to smooth, clean teeth. If necessary, pockets can be cleaned and gum tissue re-secured around the teeth with pocket reduction surgery.
• When the bone structure has been damaged, bone and tissue grafts can regenerate and restore structural integrity.

Periodontitis is progressive, and, as time goes by, infection and inflammation will continue to do damage to the gums, ligaments, and bone that support your teeth. Your Romeoville, IL periodontal team is an invaluable resource for treating periodontitis and for preventing its recurrence. So if you suffer from gum disease, let’s finish with one more reason to see Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson: working together proactively for a lifetime of attractive, healthy smiles.

For most of our oral health care needs, our family dentist is the perfect person to see. Examinations, cleanings, treating cavities, restorations such as fillings and crowns, preventive care—you’ve probably seen your regular dentist for many of these procedures.

And when it comes to treating mild gum disease, known as gingivitis, your dentist is a good person to call. If you’ve noticed bleeding gums, or gum pain when brushing, or redness, or recurring bad breath, you might have gingivitis. Often, with more attention to brushing and flossing and a professional cleaning, your gums will be healthy again in no time.

Gingivitis, though, is not the only type of gum disease. Periodontitis is the medical term for advanced gum disease, and this type of gum disease is progressive, becoming more serious over time. Untreated periodontitis can lead to infection, inflammation, and loss of tooth and bone.

If you have serious gum disease, it’s time to visit Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson. Periodontists are specialists with years of advanced training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of the structures supporting your teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligaments, and surrounding bone.

Here are four very good reasons to give our Romeoville, IL periodontal office a call:

• Receding gums

If you’ve noticed that you’re seeing more tooth than you’re used to, this could be a sign of receding gums. Besides affecting the appearance of your smile, gum recession can impact your dental health.

When gums pull away from the teeth, the top of the roots, which were once protected by healthy gum tissue, are now exposed to bacteria and plaque. Because our roots are covered by cementum, which is softer than enamel, they are more vulnerable to decay, and decay progresses more quickly than it does in the tooth crown.

• Infected/inflamed periodontal pockets

When the gums pull away from the teeth, a pocket forms between tooth and gum. Bacteria and plaque collect here, where your toothbrush can’t reach, leaving you at risk for abscess and infection.

A periodontal abscess is a pocket filled with pus which forms between tooth and gum. Beyond the swelling and pain caused by an abscess, infection can spread, damaging connective tissue and bone in the jaw, and potentially spreading to other parts of the body.

• Loose teeth

A loose baby tooth is a welcome surprise for a child—a loose adult tooth? Not so much! Loose permanent teeth can be caused by several conditions, including an injury, osteoporosis, and pregnancy. But the one of the most common causes of loose teeth in adults is periodontitis.

Periodontal infection and inflammation can damage the ligaments and bone that support the teeth and hold them firmly in place. This damage results in loose teeth and can lead to tooth loss if left untreated.

• Your dentist’s recommendation

If your dentist has suggested a periodontal consultation at High Point Dental Group, please follow this advice!

What can a periodontist do for you?

• Receding gums can be treated with gum grafts when the recession is extensive, both to protect the roots of your teeth and to enhance the appearance of your smile.
• To prevent the formation of deep periodontal pockets, Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson might suggest scaling and root planing procedures, non-surgical deep cleaning treatments which encourage gum tissue to reattach to smooth, clean teeth. If necessary, pockets can be cleaned and gum tissue re-secured around the teeth with pocket reduction surgery.
• When the bone structure has been damaged, bone and tissue grafts can regenerate and restore structural integrity.

Periodontitis is progressive, and, as time goes by, infection and inflammation will continue to do damage to the gums, ligaments, and bone that support your teeth. Your Romeoville, IL periodontal team is an invaluable resource for treating periodontitis and for preventing its recurrence. So if you suffer from gum disease, let’s finish with one more reason to see Drs. Angela Paros, Amer Atassi, Eric Young, Alexander Katsnelson: working together proactively for a lifetime of attractive, healthy smiles.