Do you clench your jaw or grind your teeth? If so, you may have a condition known as bruxism. While it can happen during the day, it most often occurs at night causing a patient to wake up in the morning with a number of symptoms including jaw pain, headaches, and sore teeth that can feel loose. While stress and anxiety are the most common causes of bruxism, there may be other contributing factors such as a sleep disorder, an abnormal bite, or teeth that are missing or poorly aligned.
Night Guards – West Chester, OH
One solution for bruxism is to wear a night guard while sleeping. This dental appliance is designed to fit over the teeth and keep the jaws slightly apart. Wearing a night guard can help prevent a number of damaging consequences such as muscle strain, excessive pressure on the jaw joint (the TMJ), and dental damage such as chipped or cracked teeth resulting from the teeth grinding against each other.
A custom night guard can also prevent damage to the soft and hard tissues surrounding the orofacial cavity. This appliance is custom made at the dental office to help discourage a bruxism habit and give the patient a better night’s sleep.
Night Guard Process
A removable appliance called an Anterior Bite Plane may be recommended to minimize tooth wear due to grinding, reduce muscle pain and tension, and diagnose muscle and joint pain issues.
An anterior bite plane is a small dental appliance that is worn on your upper teeth creating a platform in which your lower teeth can sit and glide. It is typically worn while sleeping but can also be worn during the day. It should not be worn for more than 8 hours.
The appliance prevents the back teeth from touching, protecting them from wear and reducing stress on the jaw muscle.
Wearing the appliance will also help the jaw joint into its most natural resting state. This allows the patient and doctor to evaluate the extent of difference between that position and the current bite of the patient.
An anterior bite plane is an optimal choice to help reduce clenching and grinding, as well as virtually eliminate any tooth destruction it could cause. It can also promote good oral health, increasing the longevity of your natural teeth and reducing the need for restorative dentistry in the future.