Appointment RequestNightguards for Bruxism Vero Beach
Put a Stop to Teeth Grinding
Do you sometimes wake up with a sore jaw, or do you struggle with dental sensitivity? These problems may indicate that you engage in bruxism, which is otherwise known as teeth grinding and clenching. Left untreated, it can cause serious damage to your oral health. Fortunately, our Vero Beach dental team can help you put a stop to teeth grinding. After we evaluate your case, we may recommend that you start using a custom nightguard.
What Is Bruxism?
Bruxism is simply the medical term that describes habitual teeth grinding and clenching. Many people who brux do so unconsciously, when they are asleep. However, some people also do it during their waking hours. While purposeful effort may be able to curb daytime bruxism, nocturnal bruxism is more difficult to handle because it occurs involuntarily; you do not have the opportunity to stop yourself.
Without timely intervention, bruxism can lead to premature wear and tear on your tooth enamel, increased dental sensitivity, jaw pain, and more.
Here are some signs that you may engage in nocturnal bruxism:
- You frequently wake up with a sore jaw or headache.
- You find it painful to chew food.
- Your partner has noticed grinding noises coming from your mouth while you are asleep.
- Your teeth look visibly worn down.
- You cannot eat hot or cold foods due to your increased dental sensitivity.
How a Nightguard Works
A nightguard is a custom oral appliance that somewhat resembles a mouthguard that you would wear for sports. It places a barrier between your upper and lower teeth, thereby preventing them from grinding and causing mutual harm.
It is possible to buy over-the-counter nightguards. However, we do not recommend them because they can be extremely uncomfortable and may place extra stress on your jaw joint. A custom nightguard is a vastly superior option because it is made for your unique mouth.
To provide you with a nightguard, our team will take a detailed digital impression of your mouth using an intraoral scanner. This process is extremely precise (and much more comfortable than old-fashioned manual impressions!). That scan will then serve as the basis for fabricating your custom device in our in-house dental laboratory. We pride ourselves on creating oral appliances that are as effective and user-friendly as possible.
The Benefits of Nightguards
A custom nightguard can offer several outstanding benefits:
- Reduced wear and tear on your teeth.
- Decreased sensitivity to hot, cold, and acidic foods.
- A reduced risk of chips and cracks in your teeth.
- Less pain and discomfort in your jaw and facial muscles.
- A lower risk of TMJ disorder (TMD).
- Fewer morning headaches.
- Improved sleep quality for both you and your significant other.
- Easier eating, especially when it comes to chewy or tough foods.
- Lower future dental expenses due to a reduced risk of damaged teeth.