At some point in their lifetime, most people will find themselves grinding their teeth from time to time. While occasional grinding doesn’t usually cause much damage, persistent and untreated clenching can lead to costly dental damage. In some cases, bruxism can result in a wearing down of enamel, tooth wear, sensitivity, receding gum line or cracked teeth. Let’s look at the numbers

1. Dental bridges
   A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth and “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. A traditional three-unit bridge can range between $2,100 to $4,500, a four-unit bridge can cost between $2,000 and $12,000 or more
2. Dental crowns
   A crown can help strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining to hold the filling. Crowns can also be used to attach bridges, protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already broken. Generally, crowns can range in cost from $600 to $1500 or more per crown.
3. Root canals
   Root canal treatment is necessary when the soft tissue inside your tooth becomes inflamed or diseased. The costs of a root canal ranges by type of tooth. Front tooth: $980 Bicuspid: $1,054 Molar: $1,300. Then add the cost of you a filling or a crown
   
4. Implants
   An implant is a popular and effective way to replace missing teeth and are designed to blend in with your other teeth. Dental Implants generally range between $1990 and $3650 per tooth.

Depending on the treatment, the lifetime cost of one avulsed tooth can be $5,000-$20,000. The bottom line is, there is a potentially very high and physically painful price to pay if you don’t protect your teeth from the harmful grinding. Of course, it’s never wise to self diagnose. Visit your dentist and ask what type of night grinding guard will work best for you.