After a night's sleep, do your jaws hurt when it is time to get up? Do you unwittingly get into a teeth-grinding frenzy when you feel that the pressure is on? If your answers are "yes" and "yes," then you might already have the disorder called TMJ, which we dentists call temporomandibular joint disorder. This simply means that you grind your teeth at night. People who grind their teeth are also susceptible to snoring.

TMJ starts with aching jaws. Try to get it treated right away. If you let it be, the aggressive grinding will cause erosion in your teeth. Come to my Downtown Vancouver dentist office and we may fit you out with a mouth guard to keep your teeth safe from the harsh grinding. On the other hand, the best thing for you could be a Downtown Vancouver dentist crown.

A Downtown Vancouver dentist crown is not always the solution. It is only advisable if your teeth grinding habit has been going on for many years. I will check the cusps or the pointed edges of your teeth. These would normally show up on the pre-molars or molars. However, if they appear too flat, then you would need a crown.

If not, you could have problems eating several kinds of food. You may also start speaking in a distinct manner. In major situations, your jaws may even move out of position.

First of all, I will slice away some of your tooth material to allow plenty of space for the crown. Parts of the outer enamel and inner dentine is what will be removed.

Then comes the precious metal alloy for the Downtown Vancouver dental crown. I don't need to take away much enamel. The reason is the alloy, even in thin applications, will hold up very well.

If you don't want any precious metals and would prefer things like ceramic and porcelain, I must go beyond the outer enamel and scrape away some of the inner dentine as well. I want to prevent breakage.

If you ask me, you couldn't do much better than a hybrid dental crown. This is made from porcelain and metal, which is very strong and protects your tooth. In addition, it looks like a real tooth. It's double delight for your teeth.