Night Guards

You've heard stories of a husband or wife waking up, hearing their family make an awful grating noise. It sounds like something terrible is happening! Tooth grinding is a serious problem, especially if steps are not taken early on to prevent damage to the teeth. When we evaluate your teeth, we evaluate the amount of enamel left and determine whether it is a normal amount, or if it is prematurely missing. Enamel can be missing for several reasons.

• Acid erosion, one of the major causes of missing enamel, typically arises from acidic drinks such as soda or fruit juices, excessive emesis (vomiting) or high stomach acid flow, and dry mouth. Dentists can typically find the root of the problem and advise you in how to manage the acidic environment, and help prevent further enamel loss.
• Another major cause of missing enamel is abrasion. This is typically caused by using a hard toothbrush, or even using a soft toothbrush and brushing too vigorously. For those patients demonstrating abrasion, we recommend a Sonicare toothbrush. Not only does it create that super clean feeling that patients are going for, but it also has a built in safety to make a noise if you're pushing the bristles too hard on your teeth.
• The last major cause of missing enamel is attrition. In an instance called bruxism, a patient will grind their teeth either consciously or unconsciously, gradually wearing down their teeth. Other patients that experience attrition are those that have a large overbite, such that any chewing movement will wear down the anterior teeth as well as the posterior teeth, creating a collapsed bite.

​Untreated, both of these cases will need full mouth restoration, which typically includes full coverage crowns for every tooth. This is not only expensive, but unnecessary if we can stop it from occurring! For a patient that has excessive overbite that shows signs of wear, orthodontics can stop the process by relocating the teeth in a more ideal position. Typically those patients that are found with this problem are adults. We highly encourage adult orthodontics! Braces are not just for straightening teeth. While expensive, they're so much less expensive than a full mouth restoration! Compare $7,000 with $28,000! Which one would you prefer?

For the patient that is unconsciously grinding their teeth at nighttime, a Night Guard is recommended. Night Guards are carefully made to fit your teeth exclusively, as well as provide cushion for both the upper and lower teeth while the grinding movement is occurring. Worn appropriately, this does wonders for patients struggling to keep their enamel. Night Guards are also recommended for those patients that have veneers or anterior crowns, to help prevent breakage due to general nighttime stress. They take some time to adjust to wearing, but they provide excellent support.

Splints are similar to Night Guards, but typically serve a different purpose than a Night Guard. Splints may be recommended for issues involving the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), or for those patients with sleep apnea or snoring.

Do any of these issues sound familiar to you? If you think you have enamel loss and would like consultation about whether it is normal, moderate, or severe, and would like to restore your teeth to health, give us a call! We typically can consult with you about enamel loss during a comprehensive cleaning and exam visit.