Do you wake up with a sore jaw? Or, maybe a sore side from your sleep partner elbowing you when you start grinding your teeth? Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can damage your jaw and teeth by putting too much pressure on the jaw joint and your teeth. It also can be noisy and annoying to those who try to sleep nearby. Protect your oral health with a general dental treatment for bruxism at Mercy Dental.
There is not a known cause for bruxism; it is thought to be an anxiety or stress disorder, making it difficult to stop, especially when you are sleeping. You can consciously not clench your jaw or grind your teeth when you are awake, but you have no control of what you do when you are asleep. The only option is to prevent damage and protect your teeth and jaw joint while you sleep with a nightguard.
Protect Your Teeth While You Sleep
At Mercy Dental, we offer customized dental nightguards that can ensure you are not damaging your teeth while you sleep. This device is created from an impression of your teeth to ensure that it fits comfortably over your teeth. The guard stops the teeth from grinding against each other, which can wear down the enamel and even fracture teeth. The guard also repositions the jaw to relieve pressure on the joint. Nightguards can help alleviate pain from TMJ or TMD and bruxism; they can also help those with obstructive sleep apnea or loud snoring.
If you have bruxism, don’t let it damage your smile or cause jaw pain. Come see Dr. Doleyres at Mercy Dental in Edinburg. Dr. Doleyres can create a customized dental nightguard to stop damage from nocturnal teeth grinding or jaw clenching. Contact Mercy Dental today to schedule your consultation and exam.