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, Texas, uses personalized nightguards to overcome bruxism. This retainer-like mouthpiece fits over the upper and lower teeth to form a protective barrier. A nightguard prevents damage to your teeth and jaw by absorbing the bruxism-induced pressure.
Bruxism Explained
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. 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. Sometimes, your teeth may be beyond repair, warranting removal. If you suspect bruxism, don’t “wait it out.” Instead, have it treated immediately to save you discomfort and costly treatments.
Treating Bruxism at a Dentist’s Office
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.
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.
Some patients are ready to take this step to truly get to the bottom of their symptoms and find a true diagnosis and treatment plan. We respect that some patients aren’t quite ready for this, and we also understand that many patients out there have had previous success with custom mouthguards and want to have a new one made.
No matter the cause of your bruxism, a mouthguard from our office can potentially help alleviate the symptoms.
A mouthguard prevents the upper and lower teeth from getting into contact. While a nightguard won’t fix the root cause of bruxism, it protects your oral structures and prevents the need for future dental restorations. Nightguards also improve your sleep quality, helping you wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
