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A bite guard is recommended for individuals who grind their teeth (bruxism) or tend to clench their teeth tightly. Teeth grinding and clenching can cause various issues, including tooth wear, enamel damage, tension in the jaw muscles, pain, jaw injuries, and headaches.
Primarily, a bite guard is used while sleeping, but in some cases, it can also be worn during other activities, such as driving or working at a computer.
A Bite Guard Protects and Relaxes
Protecting Your Teeth
Teeth grinding is a common issue. Grinding wears down the tooth enamel. If a grinder does not protect their teeth with a bite guard, the grinding can, in the worst case, wear the teeth down to the gum line.
Grinding is not always noisy. You can damage your teeth while sleeping if you unconsciously clench your jaws tightly.
If your bite feels off in the morning, if your teeth hurt, or if the muscles in your head and neck are tense, you are likely suffering from teeth grinding or clenching.
Relaxing the jaw muscles
In cases of occlusal issues, chronic facial and neck pain, as well as recurrent headaches, are common. Often, occlusal problems are associated with migraine-type headaches, where they can either cause or worsen the headache.
A bite guard can sometimes provide the best relief for muscle stiffness in the head and neck area. If the bite guard does not provide sufficient benefit, the situation can also be helped with jaw muscle massage or muscle-relaxing botulinum injections.
Protecting the joints
The jaw joint connects the lower jaw to the skull. These joints endure significant strain during activities such as talking, chewing, and yawning. Symptoms indicating damage to the joint disc include jaw locking, limited mouth opening, and pain in the joint area.
Pain in and around the joint can be very uncomfortable and may sometimes limit joint movement. A bite guard placed between the teeth keeps the joint space open, improving metabolism in the joint area. Symptoms indicating disc damage often reduce with the use of a bite guard.
Custom-made bite guards
A dentist always custom-makes a bite guard to fit the patient’s mouth. Initially, an impression or scan of the teeth is taken. Based on this model, a personalized bite guard is created.
Typically, a bite guard is a plastic shield that can be easily put on and removed. Most people use a bite guard while sleeping. Many also use it during tasks requiring concentration or under stress, when they tend to clench their teeth.
Contact us to learn more and get your custom-made bite guard!
