Dental appliances can help reduce and/or relieve many symptoms. Bruxism, a medical condition characterized by clenching and grinding, is fairly common.
Symptoms You May Need a Dental Appliance
- Teeth grinding
- Morning headaches
- Jaw soreness
- Facial pain
- Fatigue from lack of sleep
- Grating or grinding while sleeping
- Caregivers and partners can hear grinding
- Pain or clicking when moving jaw
- Headaches associated with bruxism may feel similar to a tension headache
- Teeth grinders can also injure their tongue or lips
Dental Complications & Preventive Treatment
- Visit your dentist regularly
- Dental exams help spot the signs of Bruxism.
- Cracked or worn teeth
- Damage to dental work
- Sensitivity or loose teeth due to wear
- Pressure on the muscles, tissues, and other structures around your jaw
- Long term damage to teeth and can result in temporomandibular joint problems (TMJ).
How Dental Appliances Help
- Protect tooth and restoration surfaces
- Manage mandibular (jaw) dysfunction TMD
- Stabilize the jaw joints during occlusion
- Create space prior to restoration procedures.
How Night Guards Work
- Also known as occlusal splints
- Removable dental appliances mold to fit the upper or lower arches of teeth
- Provide a barrier between teeth
- Lightens tension and cushions muscles in the jaw
- Helps prevent face and jaw pain
- Protects enamel of teeth
- Covers partial or all teeth of the upper and/or lower arch
Bruxism (2022) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/bruxism (Accessed: February 14, 2023).