Mouthguards and Splints

Teeth grinding, clenching, and various degrees of TMJ disorders can cause discomfort as well as weaken the teeth and cause chipping and wearing. Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a very common problem and can be caused by misalignment of teeth so that the upper and lower jaw do not contact each other properly, stress, or hyper-activeness. Bruxism is not a dangerous disorder; however, if gone untreated can later result in breakdown of teeth, jaw-pain, headaches, and other TMJ disorders.

There are a couple different types of mouth guards/splints that can relieve the pain, discomfort, and wear that can be a result of these issues.

Full upper mouth guard/splint

This is one of the more common methods that are used in this type of situation. A special type of material is used to construct a personalized mouth guard that fits over all of the upper teeth. The goal of this type is to hold the jaw in a more comfortable and relaxed positions which reduce clenching, grinding and prevents further damage from teeth grinding. Along with the specific type that is made for the top teeth, there is also an option to have one made for the bottom teeth instead which provides the same benefits.

NTI

This is a special type of mouth guard that is fabricated at our office and custom fit for you. It is worn around the top front teeth while sleeping. It is shown that this type of device can reduce clenching up to 66% and therefore, resulting in the alleviation of any discomfort or pain that is associated with clenching.