NIGHT GUARDS

We have three different types of night guards available in our practice. The type of night guard prescribed will depend on the diagnosis after a thorough exam.

Night Guards (synonyms: occlusal splint, bite plane, night guard) is a removable appliance, usually fabricated of resin, most often designed to cover all the biting surfaces of the teeth, however, there are smaller night guards that only cover your front teeth. They are being used frequently in treatment of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and related diseases such as tension headache and neck pain. One advantage with night guards (bite splints) is that they provide a relatively easy, inexpensive and non-harmful way to make reversible changes in the occlusion. The goal for bite splint treatment is mainly to improve jaw muscle and TMJ function and to relieve pain related to dysfunction of those systems. The most common reason for bite splint prescription is, however, bruxism. Bruxism (Teeth grinding) can cause abrasion to the chewing surfaces of your teeth. This abnormal wear and tear will prematurely age and loosen your teeth, and open them to problems such as hypersensitivity (from the small cracks that form, exposing your dentin). Bruxism can also lead to chronic jaw and facial pain, as well as headaches.