Tooth grinding problem! who do i need to talk to?

Orthopedic Dentist: The cause of grinding is rarely correctly treated. Most dentist make a bite appliance for you to wear to keep from grinding away the teeth. This is only treating the symptom and not the cause. The usual cause is the roof of your mouth (palate) is too narrow in comparison to the lower jaw. The muscles not finding their home position keep searching = bruxism results.

Dental specialist: See a dentist or oral surgeon who advertises that h/she is interested in temporal mandibular joint (tmj). These practitioners are often very thoughtful about the jaw mechanism. I am not a dentist, but i would vote for biofeedback and acupuncture. Look in the mirror and make sure that you do not chronically tilt your head. I discuss such jaw issues on my chronic pain board at quora.Com (free).

Step #1: Start with your dentist. He\she will examine your mouth and determine the degree of bruxism and possible causes. While most dentists routinely suggest and fabricate night guards for patients, this is a very complicated issue. Some patients do worse with night guards, for some it's a terrific aid in preventing tooth and joint damage, and for some they really need a much more intensive evaluation.

Dentist: Should see a dentist and possibly get to source of the grinding or have a custom mouthpiece constructed. If the teeth are worn down, this will change your bite, which in turn can cause muscle and TMJ problems.