custom-mouthguards

Could custom mouthguards help you wake up in the morning more refreshed?? Have you ever woken up after a night of sleep with a stiff neck, sore jaw, or headache that you just couldn’t shake? Or perhaps you find that throughout the day, your mouth feels achy and tired and you just don’t know why. If so, you may suffer from bruxism, and today we’re going to tell you what this is, how to identify it, and a simple and easy way you can protect your teeth from it.

Bruxism: What It Is and How It Can Impact You

Bruxism is just the technical term for teeth grinding, and people who suffer from this will unconsciously clench their jaws and grind their teeth, typically when they’re asleep, though it can also happen when a person is awake. Not only can teeth grinding have a serious impact on your oral health, but people who suffer from sleep bruxism are also more likely to suffer from other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea.

Bruxism disorders aren’t all created equal, and while some people may not experience any symptoms of their teeth grinding, others may experience the condition more severely, which can lead to:

  • Headaches
  • Jaw and facial pain
  • Broken or damaged teeth
  • Temporomandibular joint disorders

 

Recognizing Bruxism

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging to identify bruxism, especially if you don’t have any outward symptoms and only grind your teeth in your sleep. But because bruxism can cause oral health problems and create the need for expensive dental work and restorations, it’s important to be able to recognize the symptoms of it. One of the best tips to follow is to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings because your dentist will be able to recognize the physical effects of teeth grinding, including flattened, chipped, and fractured teeth, cheek damage, and worn enamel. Other warning signs that you can look for include:

  • Unconscious grinding during the day or night (if you share a bed with a partner, ask if you ever grind your teeth at night)
  • Regular waking during the night
  • Pain in your face, teeth, jaw, neck, or head
  • Sensitive teeth
  • Soreness or tightness in your jaw muscles

Related Article: My Teeth are Sensitive

Custom Mouthguards: Solutions for People Who Grind Their Teeth

There are ways you can reduce stress and exercises you can do during the day to help relax your jaw muscles and minimize daytime teeth grinding, but at night your best defense against bruxism is a mouthguard. You can get custom mouthguards from Dr. Roberts at Adams Dental Group that will be specially molded to your mouth. When you wear the mouthguard at night, the device will protect your teeth and spread out pressure when you do grind, and this will prevent damage, chipping, and wearing.

 

Bruxism can have costly and painful consequences, and it can lead to you spending a lot more time in the dentist’s chair than you need to. If you suspect you’re grinding your teeth, talk to Dr. Roberts and his expert team and schedule a check-up so he can look for the telltale signs. And if you are suffering from bruxism, custom mouthguards are a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to protect your teeth from damage and help you get a better night’s sleep.

 

Local dentist, Travis A. Roberts and his experienced, friendly team at Adams Dental Group offer affordable family dentistry in Kansas City, KS. If you are experiencing any symptoms of bruxism, we can help you with custom mouthguards. We have two locations that are conveniently located and offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. Dental health awareness is an important aspect of our patient education. At Adams Dental Group, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including dental implants, dentures, endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at our West location (913) 296-8030 or our East location (913) 621-3113 to schedule an appointment.

August 14th, 2018

Posted In: Dental Health Tips

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