Bruxism, or chronic teeth grinding, is a widespread oral health issue and without treatment, one that could damage teeth and lead to major complications. Our team understands this, and wants to offer a comfortable and noninvasive solution. In today’s blog, your Newport Beach, CA, dentist talks about custom nightguards for bruxism!
The Causes of Chronic Teeth Grinding
Why do some of us grind or clench our teeth on such a frequent basis at night? For some, this chronic issue could be due to factors like high stress levels in your daily life, or even untreated TMJ disorder. For others, the teeth grinding could be due to issues like that upset bite balance, including tooth loss, injury to the face or jaw, malocclusion, or concerns with the growth of your jaw or the eruption of the teeth. As part of the treatment process, we will carefully examine your smile and assess the signs of wear of friction to find out what treatments you may need!
The Warning Signs
Warning signs vary, but could include chronic headaches and migraines, or possibly pain in the neck or shoulders. There could be aches in the face or jaw, or toothaches and tooth sensitivity. The pressure from persistent grinding and chewing can wear down tooth structure to make teeth appear shorter than normal, and can fracture or chip outer enamel. These damages not only impact your appearance, but could leave you vulnerable to painful complications like tooth decay and even dental infection. Don’t ignore changes to your bite or painful symptoms, please reach out to our team today to learn more!
Treatment with a Custom Nightguard
Our team will examine your smile to decide on the best course of treatment. For some, we could discuss correcting misalignment with orthodontics to improve alignment. We could place custom ceramic crowns for a lifelike option that improves bite balance and ease strain on your smile. We could even replace missing teeth with custom and durable dental prosthetics.
However, the most common solution is a comfortable and noninvasive nightguard, one custom-fitted for your smile and worn as you rest. The device fits like a mouthguard and helps shift the jaw to ease underlying strain, while also placing a soft barrier between the sets of upper and lower teeth, preventing further injury to your teeth. The nightguard is then simple to use and clean, and it can travel with you as needed! If you have any questions, then contact our team today.
Talk To Balboa Dental Surgery About Our Oral Appliances
We are ready to help treat your chronic teeth grinding with a custom oral appliance. To learn more about our nightguards, or to schedule your appointment, contact your Newport Beach, CA oral surgeon at (949) 630-0143!
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