Look in the mirror…worn front teeth
In our fast-paced society, with the stresses of work, family, health issues, finances and the struggling economy, many people take out their stress on their teeth. Some signs of nighttime teeth grinding can be: waking up with sore jaws, frequent headaches, generalized pain from one side of your face, tightness in the jaws, sensitivity of the majority of your teeth or your teeth just ache in general.
Some studies have shown that people can put up to 3-4 hundred pounds of pressure on teeth when grinding or clenching! Imagine the long-term effects this could have on your teeth. If you look in the mirror at your teeth and you see signs of wear (see photo above), it’s time to ask your dentist what options there are on having a mouth guard made.
A mouth guard can help protect your teeth from the damaging forces of grinding and clenching. A mold of your teeth are made at the first visit. The molds are sent to a dental lab where a form-fit mouth guard is made. Then in approximately 2 weeks, your dental office will fit you for the guard and make necessary adjustments.
