If you suffer from the discomfort and pain of bruxism, River Harmony Dental is here for you! We are pleased to offer bruxism grinding appliances, designed to position your jaw in a way that alleviates the pain resulting from bruxism, while protecting your teeth from the damaging effects of tooth grinding.
Your Cochrane Choice for Bruxism Treatment!
What is Bruxism?
Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) refer to conditions associated with jaw movement and pain in and around the jaw. For many people, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) becomes overworked and stressed, which can lead to TMD. Bruxism is a common form of TMD. It is characterized by grinding, gnashing, or clenching of the teeth. You may unconsciously do this while you are awake (awake bruxism), or clench and grind while you sleep (sleep bruxism). While mild bruxism often requires no treatment, for some people bruxism can be severe and frequent enough that jaw pain and discomfort, headaches, damaged teeth, and other problems arise.
Symptoms of Bruxism
- Teeth grinding or clenching, which may be loud enough to wake up your sleeping partner
- Teeth that are chipped, flattened, fractured, or loose
- Worn tooth enamel
- Increased tooth sensitivity or pain
- Tired or tight jaw muscles
- Difficulty opening or closing your mouth. Your jaw may even lock, preventing any motion at all
- Jaw, neck, or face pain or soreness
- Pain that feels like an earache
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Damage from chewing on the inside of your cheek
- Sleep disruption
Treatment for Bruxism
The best treatment for bruxism is a bruxism grinding appliance. A bruxism grinding appliance is a custom made plastic dental appliance that is worn over your teeth at night in order to realign the jaw and help ease the pain associated with any misalignment. The appliance also protects the teeth from the premature wear and tear that results from the forces of the teeth grinding. A bruxism grinding appliance treats bruxism before permanent damage to the teeth results. It also helps decrease the symptoms of headaches, pain in the face, cranial, neck, shoulder, arm and back regions, by shutting the muscle activity off, which allows the overworked muscles to relax.
