Treatments
Night guards for grinding
Grinding and clenching happen while you are asleep and unaware of it, which is why the damage usually shows up before the habit does. A custom night guard takes the force instead of your teeth.
- Appointments
- Two, roughly 2 weeks apart
- Made from
- Digital scans of your teeth
- Typical lifespan
- Several years
- Health funds
- Often contribute
Signs you might be grinding
- Waking with a tight, aching or tired jaw
- Headaches around the temples in the morning
- Teeth that look flattened, chipped or shorter than they were
- Sensitivity that has appeared without an obvious cause
- A partner who hears grinding at night
- Cracks in fillings or crowns that keep recurring
Grinding tends to come and go with stress and sleep quality, so it is worth mentioning even if it only happens some of the time.
Why not the chemist version?
A boil-and-bite guard is better than nothing if you are grinding heavily tonight and cannot get in. As a long-term answer it has real drawbacks: it is bulky, it grips loosely and tends to come out overnight, and because it does not meet your bite evenly it can leave the jaw more uncomfortable than it started.
A custom guard is made from scans of your own teeth, so it is thinner, stays put, and distributes the load the way it is supposed to.
SomnoBrux. One of the custom anti-bruxism devices I can provide, made by SomnoMed specifically for grinding and clenching. Whether it suits you better than a conventional splint depends on your bite and how heavily you grind.
How a custom guard is made
- 01
Working out what is actually happening
I look at the wear pattern on your teeth, check your jaw joint and muscles, and ask about your sleep and stress. Grinding is common, but so are other causes of jaw pain, and they need different answers.
- 02
Scans, not putty
Digital scans of your upper and lower teeth go to the laboratory. No large trays of impression material, which matters if you have a strong gag reflex.
- 03
Fitting and adjustment
The guard is fitted and adjusted so your bite meets it evenly. An ill-fitting guard is worse than none at all, so this appointment is not rushed.
- 04
Review at your check-ups
I check the guard at your regular appointments to see how it is wearing, which also tells me whether the grinding is getting better or worse.
Snoring is a different problem
A night guard protects teeth from grinding. It does not treat snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea, which need a different type of appliance and, importantly, a diagnosis from a doctor first.
Frequently asked questions
Get your grinding assessed
Worn teeth do not grow back, so the sooner grinding is picked up the less there is to repair later. Book a look and we will work out whether a guard is worth making.
Further reading
Related treatments
SomnoBrux and SomnoMed are trademarks of SomnoMed Limited. Dr Justin Lee is a SomnoMed provider.
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