Bruxism refers to chronic teeth grinding, which can occur in children and adults and over time damage the teeth. To offer treatment and safeguard the smile, we can offer a custom oral appliance. Your Richardson, TX, dentist talks about how we treat bruxism with a special and custom-made bite guard.
The Causes of Bruxism
What causes us to grind our teeth on a nightly basis? For some, this could be due to high stress levels in our daily lives. For others, issues that upset bite balance, such as missing teeth, untreated TMJ disorder, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, or issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of the teeth. Even the arrival of the wisdom teeth could be a factor. As part of your treatment, our team will examine your smile with advanced intraoral camera technology to assess the cause and extent of your teeth grinding, so we can choose the best solution and also repair any damage that has occurred.
The Warning Signs and Complications
Warning signs could include tooth sensitivity, toothaches, pain in the face or jaw, and headaches. Don’t ignore persistent pain in and around your face or jaw; talk to our team about possible treatment options. Otherwise, the damaged enamel and tooth structure could make teeth appear small or uneven and increase the risk of tooth decay and dental infection, putting the stability of your smile at risk.
Our Acrylic Bite Guards
For some, we could offer relief by addressing dental misalignment with orthodontics, replacing missing teeth with dental prosthetics, or even using crowns or bonding to improve overall bite balance and repair damaged teeth. You could also avoid hard or chewy foods to ease jaw strain and employ a warm washcloth to ease strain and tension. But for many, we can offer help with an acrylic bite guard.
The oral appliance will be custom-made and fitted for your smile, so it sits comfortably in your mouth and helps reposition the jaw as needed. The bite guard will be designed based on detailed digital images and measurements we take of your smile. When in place, this could reposition the jaw to ease tension and also help place a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage. The device will be easy to use and clean, and can travel with you too.
If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat bruxism, or if you think you need one of our custom acrylic bite guards, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Our Custom Bite Guards?
We want to help you and your family avoid the impact of untreated teeth grinding. To obtain treatment for bruxism, you can call our Richardson, TX, dental office at 972.231.5376.
