 | Learning how to rest the tongue, teeth and lips properly. The tongue
should rest upward with teeth apart and lips shut to help relieve the
discomfort.
|
| Learn to control bad habits, i.e., chewing on ice or chewing fingernails
or pens.
|
| Chewing gum nervously much of the day increases the wear and tear on the
joint giving little opportunity for your jaw to recover between meals.
|
| If you chew habitually only on one side of your mouth, you concentrate all
the pressure on one side rather than equally on both sides of your mouth so
you need to learn to chew evenly, left vs. right.
|
| Medication may need to be used to relieve sore muscles or
reduce stress
|
| Clenching and grinding can be consciously suppressed.
|
| Treat symptoms first with cold packs and as pain and spasms resolve than
try hot packs for half-hour at least twice daily
|
| Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (Ibuprofen, Naprosyn, Tylenol,
Alleve) even aspirin are very effective for reducing inflammation in joints
and are recommended before bed and upon waking
|
| Most importantly, the joint should be placed at rest by eating a soft
diet, which avoids hard, chewy or sticky foods
|
| Mouth exercises to improve mouth opening (slow opening and closing,
stretching the muscles to their extent then relaxing them)
|
| Relaxation or stress management techniques
|
| Regular exercise to reduce stress
|
| Repair teeth that have been damaged from the grinding
|
Up
To Top
Nightguard
takes the punishment that your teeth would normally
endure during bruxism to minimize the damage from grinding your teeth.
A
nightguard is a custom-made thin transparent horseshoe-shaped (retainer like appliance) made
of hard plastic that has shallow borders for good tooth alignment and ideal bite
relationship.
This splint is worn between the top and bottom teeth and does not
allow the teeth to interlock which absorbs the force of the clenching and
grinding to reduce joint irritation and inflammation.
Up
To Top
It takes two
appointments:
- The first appointment an accurate
impression of your upper and lower teeth will be made. These impressions are
used to create models of how your teeth fit together. A bite record may be
taken. These items are used to form a customized heat-processed hard plastic
nightguard.
- At the second appointment the final fit of the nightguard will be
done and adjustments made.
Up
To Top
The lifespan of a nightguard is three to ten
years. It
can protect you from the symptoms of teeth grinding if you wear it regularly
which can even lead to a better night’s sleep for you and your partner!
Nightguard home care guide: Nightguard
Home Care
Up
To Top
Back Home Site Map Nightguard Care
Our
Services
