Bruxism
Sprint Ray 3D Printing
In-house Night Grinding Guards created just for you.
Using our own digital scanners and 3D printing capabilities, we can cut out the middleman to create your night grinding guards right here in our office, enabling you to begin treatment sooner and saving you a considerable amount of time waiting for new night guards.
To begin, we will generate digital models of your mouth and upload the data into our treatment planning software. From there, we will Print your night grinding guard.
Bruxism
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, refers to excessive grinding of the teeth and/or excessive clenching of the jaw, usually occurring when one sleeps. If you wake up with jaw pain, tension headaches, or facial pain, you may be suffering from bruxism. Some people aren’t even aware they are grinding or clenching their teeth at night until a visit to us reveals significant tooth enamel loss or damage to restorations.
Tension, stress, and anxiety experienced during the daytime can carry over to an individual’s sleep, and lead the person to grind their teeth together or clench the teeth unknowingly. Regardless of the cause, however, frequent clenching and grinding wear down the chewing surfaces of the teeth reducing tooth enamel and can result in a cracked or chipped tooth, crown, or filling.
Treatment Options
Although it’s essential to wear your nightguard faithfully if you grind your teeth at night, you can also follow a few self-care tips to help to prevent your teeth grinding from worsening.
- Reduce tension and stress. Whether you take a warm bath before bed, listen to soothing music, or exercise, practicing stress-relieving activities can help alleviate stress and tension.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine. In some patients, alcohol and caffeine can increase teeth-grinding tendencies.
- Focus on relaxing jaw muscles. Make a conscious effort to keep your jaw relaxed. A warm washcloth against your cheek, sticking your tongue between your teeth and avoiding chewing pencils, pens, and gum are all ways to train the muscles of your jaw to stay relaxed. Remember: lips together, teeth apart!
Because you may have bruxism and be unaware of it until complications develop, it's important to know the signs and symptoms of bruxism and to seek regular dental care. If you suspect that bruxism is the cause of your headaches or jaw pain, please contact our office and schedule an appointment.
