Have you ever caught yourself clenching your teeth together tightly throughout the day? Or have you ever come home after a long day of work, and you’re sitting on the couch about to turn on your favorite Netflix show when all of a sudden you notice that achy feeling in your jaw? And then you start to realize your neck feels tender? With all of the technology that is available to us, and the daily stress of work and life, our brains are constantly racing and we never shut off, even at night. Therefore, stress levels are a bit higher, and we’ve seen an increase in teeth grinding. This can cause long-term damage to the teeth, amongst other things!
Clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep can wear down your teeth. And with that wear and tear, your joints can also be painful with popping, clicking and quite a bit of discomfort. There can also be general aching or pain that can radiate to the upper or lower jaw. Most refer to the Internet for a quick fix to try and relieve any pain.
An over-the-counter night guard may work for some people, but it is not always the best choice for people with pain in the jaw or teeth from clenching or grinding. The guard does protect the top teeth from touching the bottom teeth. This prevents wear on the enamel surfaces of the teeth.
Your teeth are composed of a layer of hard protective enamel covering a layer of dentin which protects the numerous nerves and blood vessels in the heart of the tooth. If you do not treat long-term bruxism, you can end up eroding your teeth through both the enamel and dentin to expose the pulp of nerves and vessels. Not only does this compromise the integrity of your teeth, but can also lead to intense pain.
The downside is the bulkiness and fit of some guards. The ones you may find at a Walgreens or convenience store is a plastic block is usually boiled and then “kind of” fitted to your teeth by pressing it into the teeth and then removing. Patients often complain of uncomfortable excess. The problem with this, is the night guard is usually a softer spongy material that stimulates chewing and biting into while sleeping. This is actually worse for your muscles.
As a result, we see many patients here at The Dental Boutique that needs a “deprogrammer-type” night guard. This custom fitted guard props the mouth open slightly to let all of the muscles and jaw joints rest while being very sleek and comfortable to wear. The small appliance only takes two weeks to make and is a great option for those of us who are always on the go, even while sleeping!
Call us to get started with a custom night guard and make sure to keep up to date on all thing The Dental Boutique with our Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter!
Until next time,
The Mint Mavens
