Custom fit mouthguards are saving smiles for patients who grind their teeth in their sleep

“Stay strong!” or “Keep a stiff upper lip!” are often given as advice to those who are facing levels of anxiety that may be affecting their everyday lives. Many of us, when facing this stress, may follow this advice with a clenched jaw or by grinding our teeth. This condition has a name and it’s called bruxism. Bruxism often happens when we can’t do anything about it … in our sleep. A custom fitted mouthguard can halt this detrimental grinding and spare your teeth. Dr. Bindu Kolli at SouthFork Dental in Plano, TX has been providing custom-fit mouth guards to patients for years with excellent results.

Sleep and teeth grinding

Teeth grinding may be caused by stress, but that is not the only trigger. You may be grinding your teeth due to any number of sleep disorders, an abnormal bite or a smile that contains crooked or missing teeth. People who smoke cigarettes or indulge in alcoholic beverages are also more likely to grind their teeth. Many of us are not even aware we are doing it due to it occurring when we are sleeping, but there are symptoms that may be indicative of this condition, including:

• Jaw soreness
• Dull Headaches
• Fractured Teeth or teeth that have become worn or loose

Children are not immune to teeth grinding either, although the reasons may be different. Reasons that children may be grinding their teeth can include:

• Allergies
• Mouth irritation
• Misaligned Teeth

Mouthguards

If you are concerned about your or your children’s teeth grinding, then it is time for a solution that is affordable and achieves results. A custom-fitted mouth guard is just that! Your dentist, after examining your teeth, can fit you with a custom mouthguard that you wear while you sleep. It may be uncomfortable at first, but most patients get used to wearing them while they sleep very quickly. A custom-fit mouthguard has a distinct advantage over those you can buy over the counter since your mouth is different from everybody else’s and these over the counter solutions are uniform in shape and fit resulting in an experience that may be uncomfortable.

Your smile deserves custom-fit protection. Dr. Bindu Kolli would love to see you and find the type of mouthguard that works perfectly for your situation. Call 469-535-6939 to schedule an appointment.