NIGHT GUARDS AND TEETH GRINDING

Many people clench and/or grind their teeth. You may do this consciously during the day, but it is a larger problem at night while you are asleep. Grinding your teeth can damage enamel, wear down teeth, cause jaw pain, or irritate your gums. The noise from teeth grinding can also disturb other people's sleep if loud enough.

Bruxism Symptoms                                                                                                          

• Jaw pain, earaches and headaches
  Fractured or chipped teeth or filling                                                                               
• Damage to bone that surrounds teeth
• Damage to jaw joint
• sensitivity as the enamel layer is worn down                                                                                                                                                                         

If you grind your teeth you should consider a night guard. The night guard, which is very similar to a mouth guard worn by athletes, provides a barrier between your top and bottom teeth while you sleep. All night guards are custom fitted for comfort and facilitate proper breathing. Brock Dental will take an impression of your teeth and have the night guard created by a dental lab. Night guards are very durable.

 How Night Guards work:

It works by preventing contacts between the molars and canine teeth.  Without this contact, your jaw cannot clench intensely and your muscles will not become fatigued.  For example, the NTI is a small acrylic appliance that's customized to fit your bite precisely.  It is the about the size of the top third of your thumb and it's worn securely over your upper front teeth while you sleep or at other times when you find yourself clenching.

There are several kinds of guards available at Brock Dental:

Anterior deprogrammer - covers the entire arch, and feels firm, full and snug

NTI - smaller aplliance covering usually the front 4-6 teeth for patients who have gag reflex and want something smaller.

Flat Plane-  traditional full arch coverage, equal contacts on both sides

Other Suggestions

There are also some things that you can do to try to stop teeth grinding. You can train your jaw to be free and easy rather than clenched. Refrain from chewing gum or on other objects like pens. You should also avoid alcoholic drinks and drinks with caffeine, as these can increase the likelihood you will grind your teeth. If you suspect you might be clenching or grinding your teeth at night, call Brock Dental to set up an appointment for your necessary nightguard.