Cosmetic Dentistry - Nightguards

Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Payson, Arizona

Do you sometimes have a problem with opening your mouth wide? Or does your jaw feel stiff? Perhaps they feel tired in the morning when you wake?

If so, you may be grinding your teeth while you sleep, without being aware of it. This is a fairly common problem and has the medical name of bruxism. Some people clench their jaw at night rather than grinding their teeth, and this can be just as damaging.

What Does Tooth Grinding Cause?

When you put that pressure and friction on your teeth night after night for months or years, the enamel wears down. Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but it can still wear away over time, and that leaves your teeth with less protection. As a result, you may notice that they are more sensitive to hot and cold substances.

Aging wears down the enamel also, but bruxism or clenching creates premature wear and tear. When the enamel layer is thin, the next layer will show through – the dentin, which is yellow. That gives a yellow color to your teeth. Reduced enamel can also lead to tooth fractures and chips. When left untreated for long enough, your teeth may be destroyed to the point of needing extraction.

It is well worth your while to get treatment:

• From a cost perspective (preventing future dental expense); and
• From a health perspective (preserving your teeth, jawbone, and facial shape)

The chronic grinding or clenching creates muscle tension in the face, head, neck, and shoulders. The jaw muscles become inflamed and many symptoms can develop. This is a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD or TMJ), and would need special treatment through neuromuscular dentistry.

Repairing worn or damaged teeth, or replacing them, can require fairly extensive dental work involving dental crowns, bridges, dentures, and dental implants

Using a Nightguard

We can offer you a custom-designed device to be worn at night. We would create it to fit your individual mouth, teeth, and bite. It would give you relief from tooth grinding and clenching, and protect your teeth from all that pressure and wear. You would wear it while you sleep and it would be comfortable so as not to interfere with your good night’s rest.

If you are an athlete, whether amateur or professional, you might also be interested in a Pure Power Mouthguard as a way of improving your sports performance.

Snoring is another common problem and can be a serious threat to your health when it interferes with breathing. Please see our pages on Snoreguards and Mouthguards for more details.

To learn more and to schedule a personal consultation, please contact Winterholler Dentistry today.