Sciota, Pennsylvania
Mouth Guards
Mouth guards for bruxism are protective devices used to cushion and protect the teeth from the excessive force caused by these behaviors during sleep.
Protecting your oral health may sometimes require additional treatments beyond cleaning and restoration. Patients who clench and grind their teeth, also known as bruxism, can cause significant damage to their smile. Unfortunately, most bruxism sufferers are unaware of their condition since it mainly occurs while sleeping. However, people who wake up with sore jaws or debilitating headaches may have the condition, especially if their sleep partner observes the activity. Fortunately, Quiet Valley Dental can help reduce bruxism’s impact on your smile and protect your oral health. Find out more details below about bruxism, the consequences of non-treatment, and how a mouth guard can protect your smile.
Bruxism Causes and Effects
The leading causes of bruxism are stress and anxiety. Whether you’re going through a stressful time in life, like school exams, or experiencing a life-altering situation like a death in the family, bruxism is a condition that can develop when the body doesn’t release the stress through physical activity. Your body’s automatic response is for you to clench and grind your teeth while sleeping to relieve stress. Unfortunately, untreated bruxism may cause cracked, chipped, or broken teeth, allowing bacteria to hide and creating a cavity.
Bruxism Consequences
As you clench and grind your teeth, up to 600 pounds of force per square inch is distributed across multiple teeth. The extreme forces can wear down tooth enamel to nubs, requiring complete smile reconstruction. Additionally, with the changes to your bite pattern, you may notice jaw pain or daily headaches, which could signify a misaligned bite or jaw pain. Without proper treatment, the condition will worsen and cause other advanced conditions requiring more time and money. You should seek treatment early and prevent serious and costly damages that may affect your oral health.
Bruxism Treatment
Each patient visiting our Sciota dental office receives tailored treatments that address their needs. In most cases, patients who suffer from bruxism can benefit from wearing a custom-made night guard while sleeping to prevent further damage. The custom-designed, durable, and comfortable mouth guard is a quality material that helps absorb the biting forces and reduce the grinding habit impact. Many patients wearing a night guard report relief of related symptoms such as headache, jaw pain, or ear ringing. Furthermore, most noticed a marked difference in their smile’s wear and tear rate.
Mouth Guard Care
Proper mouth guard care is necessary to extend the appliance’s life and protect your mouth from harmful bacteria. Therefore, we recommend thoroughly cleaning the mouth guard daily using a toothbrush and warm water and submerging it in a denture cleaning solution once a week. However, use warm water and be sure to thoroughly dry the night guard before storing it in a dry container. Lastly, be sure to bring your mouth guard to each appointment so that our staff can inspect it for damage or wear and ensure its cleanliness.
Mouth Guards and Night Guards in Sciota, PA
Bruxism can be a silent harm to your oral and overall health. Through regular visits to our Sciota dental office, we can monitor your oral health status and notify you immediately of developing conditions that may require preventative treatments. Then, we can customize a mouth guard to absorb bite pressures, protect your teeth and gums, and prevent adverse bruxism side effects, like jaw pain and headaches. If you suspect you may have bruxism, please call Quiet Valley Dental at (570) 992-7040 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.
Book Appointment
To learn more about partials and dentures or to schedule your initial consultation at our Sciota area dental office, please call Quiet Valley Dental at (570) 992-7040 or contact us online to request an appointment.
