Custom Dental Night Guard in Los Angeles
If you suffer from teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism) or TMJ, your Los Angeles dentist may recommended that you get a custom dental night guard. In emergency, we can make a custom clear night guards in our Los Angeles dentist office. Otherwise we will take your full mouth impressions and order a high-quality custom dental night guard from a reputable Los Angeles dental lab.
TMJD and Bruxism in Los Angeles
Bruxism is a chronic condition characterized by grinding or clenching of the teeth. Bruxism usually occurs during sleep but can also occur during waking hours. A number of serious conditions can arise from bruxism, including broken teeth, loss of enamel, receding gums, neck pain, jaw pain, headaches, and TMJD - temporomandibular joint disorders.
To prevent these complications, it is important to correctly identify and treat bruxism. Fortunately, many people with this condition are able to find relief and successfully treat and manage bruxism using a custom dental night guard in Los Angeles.
The causes of bruxism is not completely understood, but it may be due to a combination of physical, psychological and genetic factors. Difficult emotional states, such as having a high degree of stress, anxiety, anger, frustration, or tension can all be contributing factors to developing the condition. It has also been found that certain health conditions such as epilepsy, sleep apnea, etc. may be associated with daytime and nighttime bruxism.
Teeth Grinding & Teeth Clenching in Los Angeles
Teeth grinding is the act of repeatedly rubbing your teeth against each other. Teeth clenching, on the other hand, is the act of intense biting or tightening of the jaw, involving an extreme force being exerted between the upper and lower jaws. Teeth clenching causes soreness and tension in your jaw muscles. Clenching can also lead to ear aches, headaches and TMJ.
Teeth grinding and clenching happens involuntarily. Most people with bruxism experience symptoms during sleep, with relatively fewer sufferers experiencing symptoms during daytime or waking hours. While nighttime grinding is more common, and causes more harm, research shows that daytime teeth grinding affects as much as 10 percent of the population. Daytime grinding is also known as diurnal bruxism, and is most often related to stress.
A variety of options exist for treating bruxism, from dental night guards, to lifestyle changes, to corrective dental procedures, to medications and muscle relaxant/toxin injections. Our downtown Los Angeles dentists will discuss all of these options with you before recommending a custom dental night guard in Los Angeles.
Benefits of Dental Night Guards in Los Angeles
A night guard provides the best protection against nighttime bruxism. The night guard assists in providing protection from damage due to both grinding as well as clenching. It is designed with opposing grooves as well, to help secure a natural resting bite and reduce damage as much as possible as you sleep.
Wearing a custom-fit night guard every time you go to sleep can prevent painful and costly complications of bruxism-related teeth damage by reducing the impact of teeth grinding and clenching. A night guard can also help prevent TMJ disorders from developing as a consequence of bruxism. Compared to the night guard cost, treatment for TMJ disorders is considerably more expensive and complicated.
A custom night guard protects your teeth while you sleep, reducing stress and tension on your teeth, muscles, and joints. With regular and consistent use of a custom night guard, you can reduce the amount of tension on your muscles and joints and find much-needed relief from pain. A dental night guard can help alleviate headaches related to bruxism. When consistently used, you will have less frequent temporal headaches and associated neck pain.
Types of Dental Night Guards in Los Angeles
There are several types of mouth guards and night guards available in Los Angeles: over-the-counter, semi-custom, and custom.
Over-the-counter teeth guards are very affordable, however they offer no customization, the least amount of protection, and can be uncomfortable to wear. Boil and bite guards are also an inexpensive alternative and can be purchased from a local drug store. They conform somewhat to the shape of your teeth, however the fitment may not be perfect and since the material is not durable, these mouth guards will need frequent replacement.
Custom night guards are made based on an impression of your teeth taken by your Los Angeles dentist. They can be made in our downtown Los Angeles dental office or by a specialized dental laboratory and will be fully customized to achieve precise fit. Due to the professional materials and process, custom dental guards offer the best comfort and protection against bruxism.
In most cases, you will only need either an upper or a lower guard. Since the night guard sits between your upper & lower teeth, it functions as an effective protective barrier. Unless your Los Angeles dentist specifically recommends otherwise, only one guard will be needed.