Night Guard – Put an End to Morning Headaches
Bruxism is the medical term used to describe clenching or grinding teeth. Most often this gnashing, clenching and grinding happens while a patient is sleeping and unaware. The results of teeth grinding can be damage to teeth, frequent headaches, TMJ, and other jaw or dental problems. At the very least, clenching teeth on a regular nightly basis wears down the thin layer of enamel on teeth and can lead to chips, cracks, and fractures. Some patients do not even realize they have bruxism until the chronic daily headache due to grinding brings them into a doctor or dentist’s office to be evaluated for a night guard.
A night guard looks a lot like the mouthpieces football players and boxers wear during sporting activities, but much thinner and smaller. Generally, a custom fitted plastic insert covers some or all of the teeth. It provides a barrier so when patients begin grinding or clenching- upper and lower teeth do not touch. Instead, the teeth bite down into the night guard, a much softer and less damaging surface than tooth enamel. The result is less wear on teeth, less risk of dental damage, and an end to headaches due to grinding.
There are over the counter night guard kits and self-molding night guards that claim to end everything from headache due to grinding to weight gain. However, the best option is to have a guard properly fitted by a dentist. Each patient’s mouth is different and thus a good fit helps keep the guard in place, even in the midst of the worst bouts of grinding teeth. The guard works by forcing both upper and lower jaws to come to rest in the best possible position, given the patient’s particular bite. Clenching teeth is much harder with a guard in place, but less likely to occur if the jaws are resting in the proper, most comfortable position.
If you have chronic, daily headache due to grinding or wake up with jaw pain, call us about a custom fit night guard. It can help you stop grinding and clenching teeth before permanent damage occurs. While your bruxism may be the result of temporary stress, depending on the severity you could potentially do serious damage in a short period. A properly fitted, well-constructed night guard can put an end to your discomfort and prevent a ton of dental problems in the future.
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Our office is conveniently located in Brentwood, California-providing sedation, cosmetic and Implant dentistry to West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Westwood and Santa Monica.