Dental Bruxism Treatments

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the continual grinding or clenching of the teeth.

Grinding or clenching is very damaging to your teeth, jaw joints, and your facial muscles. It’s been estimated that the forces applied to your teeth during grinding or clenching are 20 times greater than when chewing. Bruxism is a major cause of pain and sensitivity.

Suppose we suspect that you have a Bruxism habit at Ardent Smile Clinic. In that case, we will recommend the appropriate action to prevent the habit-causing symptoms and protect your teeth and restorations from fracturing. The presence of a grinding or clenching habit also limits the choice of restorations and materials we can use when we repair your teeth.

What happens next?

We recommend that you wear a Soft Bite Guard at night while you are asleep. This 2mm thick, soft silicone device fits over the lower teeth and acts as a cushion preventing the problematic tooth-on-tooth contacts that occur during Bruxism. It removes the destructive forces from the teeth, which protect them and encourages the muscles controlling the jaw to relax and reduce any tension headaches.

How long will the treatment take?

You need to wear your bite guard each night. Sometimes, the bite guard will break the grinding habit over time. After 6-12 months, we may advise you to stop wearing it for a couple of weeks to check if your habit persists or returns.

Your bite guard should last a couple of years, and you’ll need to bring it with you to each check-up so that we can examine it to make sure it is still fit for purpose.