Getting a good night’s rest is essential on a number of levels. Unfortunately, for many individuals, sleep is interrupted by habits of grinding or clenching teeth. These sleeping habits can cause a multitude of problems including: migraine headaches, sore jaw, frequent toothaches, worn or cracked teeth, loose teeth, or earaches.
We can provide treatments for grinding teeth that require no prescription drugs and have no health side effects. Simple, custom night guards or oral appliances can stop grinding and help you get a good night’s sleep.
What it is:
Night time tooth grinding is a sleep disorder also known as “sleep bruxism”. It occurs much more frequently in children, but most will grow out of it by age twelve. Adults that grind their teeth at night may awake with headaches, sore jaw joins, sore jaw muscles or chipped and worn teeth. Occasionally there are no symptoms, but the noise of your teeth grinding may disrupt your sleep, as well as the sleep of family members.
Grinding or Bruxism
- Bruxism is a habit of grinding or clenching the teeth
- Clenching means you tightly hold your top and bottom teeth together
- Grinding is when you slide your teeth back and forth over each other
- The causes of night time tooth grinding are not well understood
- We know that some people are more susceptible to it than others
- We know that those people who grind their teeth may not do so every night
- Stress, sleep disorders and an abnormal bite are some things that may play a role
- Risk factors associated with night time tooth grinding may include:
- Airway problems
- Stress
- Obesity
- Certain types of medications
- Neurologic disorders
- Untreated bite problems
Treatment:
REDUCING OR MINIMIZING NIGHT TIME TOOTH GRINDING
- Diagnosis and treatment of airway/breathing issues and occlusal bite issues
- Manage stress and obesity
- Protection by use of a custom mouthguard or appliance
CUSTOM MADE NIGHT GUARD
- Made from either plastic or acrylic
- Slips over either the upper or lower teeth and prevents them from touching
- Protects the teeth and helps keep them from wearing down
SMALL DEVICE CALLED THE NTI
- A small custom fit piece of thermoplastic that is an alternative to the traditional night guard
- Fits securely on your upper or lower front teeth while you sleep
- Prevents the back teeth from touching, thus reducing the intensity of clenching
- In clinical trials reviewed by the FDA, 82% of medically diagnosed migraine sufferers had a 77% average reduction of migraine pain attacks within the first 8 weeks of use of this device
Things to Remember:
Night time tooth grinding that is left untreated may cause permanent damage to your jaw, joint and teeth. Besides breaking and wearing down teeth, grinding irritates the nerves in your teeth and can cause hot, cold and chewing pain in your teeth. Tooth grinding may also lead to chronic headaches and chewing muscle sensitivity during the day. It is advised to see a diagnosis from Dr. Zaugg and options for treatment to prevent permanent damage to the jaw, joint and teeth.
