Best Dentist, Best Implant Dentist,Best Cosmetic Dentist near me, San Antonio,TX, Leon Springs, TX, Boerne,TX Helotes, TX
Protect your Teeth Digitally Designed in our office
Teeth Grinding or Clenching
Occasional teeth grinding or clenching (know as bruxism) does not cause harm. However patients that grind or clench their teeth on a regular basis can cause damage to their teeth and might notice chipped teeth, increased sensitivity due to diminished enamel, fractured teeth, broken fillings or cracked dental work, jaw tenderness, muscle tenderness or pain in the face, TMD/TMJ discomfort, headaches beginning at your temples. In severe cases, your teeth can be worn down to stumps and even change the appearance of your face.
The causes of grinding or clenching are typically multi-factorial, which means there are many reasons why someone might do this. Some of the more common reasons are:
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Sleep issues, including sleep apnea and airway obstruction
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Stress or negative emotions
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Lifestyle choices such as tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol use, (especially late at night)
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Certain medications such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, ADHD meds, etc.
Putting an end to teeth grinding can preserve your teeth, keep you smiling with confidence, minimize dentistry down the road and keeps you healthier.
Wear a Bite Guard
A Bite guard, also known as mouthguard, night guard, splint, occlusal guard, bite appliance-fits over your teeth and helps protect the teeth from the damage of grinding. It is better to wear through a guard that typically lasts a few years than your natural teeth. A custom-made guard begins by making quick and easy digital scans (no gooey impressions) of your teeth that are used as a model to make the guard. The in-house lab digitally designed dental guard will be clear and thermoplastic (with a hard outer layer to protect your teeth and a soft cushioning layer for comfort). If left untreated, grinding can permanently damage your teeth, and lead to more dental work or tooth loss, so why wait?
How Dominion Dental Spa creates a digitally created custom guard
Please note that all occlusal guards are not created equally. We digitally design your occlusal guard or bite guard in our office to provide you with a guard that is thin enough to be comfortable and wearable, yet strong enough to allow you to grind on it, and protect your teeth.
We take care to make sure it fits just right for you.
Sports Mouthguard
If you play contact sports or have a child /teenager that does, we make comfortable sports guards that help protect the teeth. A sports guard and a bite guard are NOT the same thing. They are both oral appliances but they differ in how they protect the teeth. The American Dental Association recommends a mouthguard for a variety of sports and recreation.
Orthodontics
Did you know that Orthodontics and placing the teeth in a better position might be a way in some cases to minimize grinding and clenching? Even patients who had orthodontics years ago, may benefit from orthodontics, to move teeth in a better position if teeth have slowly shifted over time. One way to find out is to speak with our San Antonio dentist to find out if this might be a solution for you.
