Suffering From Bruxism? Wake Up To The Protective Powers Of
A Customized Mouthguard
Do you often wake up with terrible headaches or jaw soreness? Have you noticed chips, cracks, and other signs of wear on your teeth? If so, you may have bruxism—a condition where you subconsciously grind and clench your teeth during sleep.
Dougherty Cosmetic Dentistry in Garden Ridge uses personalized night guards to overcome bruxism. This retainer-like mouthpiece fits over the upper and lower teeth to form a protective barrier. A night guard prevents damage to your teeth and jaw by absorbing the bruxism-induced pressure. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out if a dental night guard can help protect your teeth and improve your sleep.
Suffering From Bruxism?
Bruxism means chronic grinding and clenching of teeth. This condition affects children and adults and often occurs unconsciously, so you may not even know you have it. It can happen just at night or throughout the day too. Whether you are aware of your teeth grinding or not, this bad habit can seriously affect your health.
The good news is that your dentist can spot bruxism symptoms during routine exams. There are numerous symptoms, including:
Migraines and headaches
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Facial, neck, and shoulder pain
Jaw soreness
Cracked, chipped, or flattened enamel
TMJ-related pain
The force exerted when grinding teeth overworks your jaw muscles and joints, resulting in numerous aches and pains. Furthermore, severe bruxism causes significant dental damage that requires crowns and root canals to restore teeth.
If you suspect bruxism, don’t wait it out. Instead, have it treated immediately to save you discomfort and costly treatments.
Mouth Guards
If you grind your teeth at night (also known as bruxism) or suffer from jaw clenching, dental night guards can provide relief and protect your teeth from damage. At Dougherty Cosmetic Dentistry, we create custom night guards that are designed to address both the physical and functional aspects of bruxism, improving not only your oral health but also your overall well-being.
A mouth guard prevents the upper and lower teeth from getting into contact. While a night guard won’t fix the root cause of bruxism, it protects your oral structures and prevents the need for future dental restorations. Night guards also improve your sleep quality, helping you wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
Our mouth guards are fabricated after taking digital impressions of your teeth. This digital impression is sent to one of the best dental labs in the United States for manufacturing custom night guards. We can make them clear, blue, or pink! These are significantly higher in quality than pharmacy boil-and-bite guards.
As a matter of fact, once you see the difference, you’ll understand that comparing the two things is unfair. Dr. Dougherty prefers the Comfort H/S Bite Splint by Glidewell. They are superior in quality to several “in-office” or smaller dental lab solutions. We love smaller labs for cosmetics and prosthetics, but it’s almost impossible to beat what Glidewell can do with night guards.
The Benefits of Dental Night Guards
With their comfort and ease-of-use, night guards have very few complications, with many benefits, such as:
Protects Teeth from Damage:
Prevents wear and tear on your teeth, reducing the risk of cracks, fractures, and enamel loss caused by grinding.
Reduces Jaw Pain and Tension:
Helps alleviate the discomfort associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, headaches, and neck pain.
Improves Sleep Quality:
By preventing severe tooth grinding, night guards can promote better sleep quality and less muscle strain during rest.
Custom-Fit for Comfort:
We create custom night guards that perfectly fit your teeth, ensuring comfort and effectiveness throughout the night.
Are Night Guards Right for You?
If you’re experiencing symptoms like teeth grinding, jaw pain, or chronic headaches, a custom night guard may be the right solution. At Dougherty Cosmetic Dentistry, we will assess your needs and design a night guard that fits your lifestyle, addressing any potential airway issues along the way.
Airway-Aware Dentistry and Night Guards services
Bruxism is a condition that affects many patients, but its exact cause has not yet been pinpointed by medical doctors. However, stress, certain medications, anxiety, and sleep apnea have been found to be linked to bruxism.
We are an airway-aware dental practice. When Dr. Dougherty interviews a new patient, it is not uncommon for him to have a discussion about the quality of their sleep and whether or not they make noise or snore when they sleep. This goes for both children and adults.
Before making any type of appliance, it is often suggested that patients with symptoms associated with sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing issues visit a medical doctor first. There are many times when the root cause of a patient’s bruxism lies in improving the quality of their sleep, and this is a better place to start for many patients.
No matter the cause of your bruxism, a mouthguard from our office can potentially help alleviate the symptoms.
Follow-up Consultations for Sleep Apnea
We recognize the crucial link between bruxism and issues like sleep apnea or other airway obstructions. Teeth grinding and clenching can be a response to compromised airflow during sleep, which is why a night guard can serve not only as a protective device but also as part of a larger strategy for improving your airway health.
In some cases, we may also recommend an airway-informed treatment plan, which could include more comprehensive treatments like CPAP therapy or dental appliances to address underlying airway issues such as sleep apnea.
If your night guard is part of a broader treatment plan for sleep apnea, we provide follow-up consultations to monitor your progress and adjust your treatment as needed. We work closely with you to ensure that your airway health improves along with your sleep quality.
Protect Your Smile
Bruxism night guards can make all the difference in your smile. Unfortunately, not all mouthguards are made the same or provide the best benefits. To ensure you get the best night guard for your smile, please call (210) 880-4120 to schedule an appointment with Dougherty Cosmetic Dentistry.