Night-Time Tooth Grinding (Part 2): What can I do?
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Elaborating on the blog post on night-time tooth grinding (part 1), this post offers solutions to reduce the negative impacts of night-time tooth grinding (also known as bruxing).
Night-Guard:
The primary treatment modality for bruxism is a night-guard, (known as an occlusal splint).
Night-guards are made from a soft or hard acrylic. The use of a night-guard allows the tooth to grind against something softer than the opposing tooth, which ultimately decrease muscular, joint pain and discomfort.
Instead of grinding away the own tooth structure, the night-guard acrylic is sacrificed. The average lifetime of a night-guard is typically 2-3 years before it is worn out.
Two general types of night-guards available:
1) An over-the-counter nightguard that is available for under $100
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2) A custom-fitted night-guard made by a dental professional.
A custom fit night-guard for a patient at MC2 Dental.
What kind of night-guard should I choose?
For people with average jaw and tooth size, shapes, and alignment, an over-the-counter night-guard is a good and economical option.
However, for others, they may not fit well and sacrifice comfort for convenience.
A custom-made night-guard costs more but the fit and comfort will be significantly better than an over-the-counter one. The material is also more durable and better suited for longterm use.
In the end, a custom-made night-guard might be the better choice.
Small Changes to Make In Daily Routine: - Stress reduction exercises such as deep breathing and relaxing the mind are also helpful.
- Reduce your caffeine, tobacco and alcohol intake, as high amounts of these compounds are associated with bruxing. - Ensure you have good quality sleep. Keep your electronics away or on sleep mode to avoid disruptions in the middle of the night.
- If you have risk factors for sleep apnea such as a large neck, being overweight, and there's snoring or tooth grinding at night, it's likely a sleep study is warranted to diagnose the cause of bruxing.
Still experiencing joint and muscle pain?
If you experience joint and muscle pain as a result of bruxing, a mild dose of muscle relaxant can help relieve the discomfort. Be sure to read and follow the dosage instruction printed on the over-the-counter medication. When in doubt or if the pain persists, consult your dentist.
Another option is to use a cold compress on the affected temporomandibular (jaw) joints. Apply the cold compress for 5 minutes, followed by 10 minutes off. Repeat for an hour.
Our dental team at MC2 Dental evaluates every patient for signs of tooth grinding.
Some indications of bruxing may include: wear patterns on teeth, patient's reported joint or muscle discomfort, or broken restorations.
Please inform us if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, as sometimes the symptoms precede the signs by a large margin.
If there are any questions unanswered, please send us an email.