Bite Splint Protection from Grinding
Do you wake up with jaw pain, morning headaches, or sore jaw muscles? Are your teeth showing signs of tooth wear, chips, or cracks? These symptoms could indicate bruxism – the involuntary teeth grinding or clenching that affects millions of people both asleep and awake. At Perth City Dental, we understand how disruptive teeth grinding can be to your daily life, and we’re here to help protect your teeth and alleviate your discomfort with custom bite splints.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is a common oral parafunctional activity characterised by excessive teeth grinding or clenching outside normal functional activity. This condition can occur during waking hours (awake bruxism) or while you sleep (sleep bruxism), with sleep bruxism being more common and potentially more damaging since you’re unaware it’s happening. Sleep bruxism affects approximately 21% of adults globally and can cause significant damage to your teeth while you’re asleep.
Recognising the Warning Signs of Bruxism
Many people don’t realise they grind their teeth at night until damage has already occurred. Common symptoms of teeth grinding include:
Morning Symptoms:
- Jaw pain or stiffness upon waking from jaw muscles working overtime
- Morning headaches or facial pain radiating through your jaw
- Sore jaw muscles and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discomfort
- Feeling tired despite a full night’s sleep due to poor sleep quality
Ongoing Symptoms:
- Tooth sensitivity to temperature or pressure from tooth wear
- Worn, flattened, chipped, or damaged teeth from grinding
- Pain when biting or clenching your jaw
- Earache or tinnitus (ringing in ears) from jaw joint stress
- Difficulty opening and closing your mouth normally
- Tight or painful neck and shoulder muscles from facial pain tension
Our Solution: Custom Occlusal Splints and Bite Splints
At Perth City Dental, we provide custom-made occlusal splints (also called bite splints, night guards, or mouth guards) as an effective treatment for protecting your teeth and managing bruxism-related symptoms. These white or clear plastic appliances are designed specifically by our dental lab to fit your upper teeth or lower teeth, providing optimal comfort and protection while you sleep.
How Occlusal Splints Work
An occlusal splint is a custom-fitted protective device worn over your teeth, typically at night, that:
- Protects Teeth: Creates a barrier between upper and lower teeth to prevent grinding damage
- Reduces Muscle Tension: Helps relax jaw muscles and reduce clenching forces
- Repositions the Jaw: May help maintain a more comfortable lower jaw position during sleep
- Distributes Forces: Spreads biting forces more evenly across only certain teeth or your entire dental arch
What the Research Says About Occlusal Splints
While occlusal splints are widely used in dental practice, it’s important to understand what current research tells us about their effectiveness for treating sleep bruxism and protecting against tooth wear.
Evidence-Based Benefits
Recent systematic reviews indicate that occlusal splint therapy is a viable treatment approach for sleep bruxism, though the evidence concludes that we don’t really fully understand why they work so well in most cases. .
Important Considerations About Treatment Options
Cochrane reviews have found that there is not sufficient evidence to definitively state that occlusal splints are effective for treating sleep bruxism regarding sleep outcomes, but there may be benefits with regard to tooth wear protection.
Some systematic reviews have found no clear evidence to support the provision of splints for various sub-types of TMD or bruxism, though the evidence quality is very low.
Current data reveals that oral devices may not reduce the frequency of bruxism behavior, but patients report they decrease morning jaw discomfort and they do effectively control tooth wear.
What splints do best is protect teeth.
The Primary Benefits We Can Expect
Based on current evidence, our occlusal splints are most beneficial for:
- Protecting teeth from further tooth damage and wear
- Reducing jaw muscle tension and associated jaw pain
- Preventing dental complications from grinding forces
- Improving comfort and reducing morning symptoms
- Protecting existing dental work and restorations
Your Treatment Journey at Perth City Dental
Comprehensive Assessment
Our experienced dentist will conduct a thorough examination to evaluate signs of bruxism and tooth wear on upper and lower teeth, assess your jaw muscles and jaw joint function for TMJ disorders, review your symptoms, sleep patterns, and medical history, check for risk factors like stress, anxiety, or sleep disorders including sleep apnoea, and determine if an occlusal splint is appropriate for your case.
Custom Bite Splint Fabrication
If a dental splint is recommended, we will take a digital impression of your teeth, design a custom occlusal splint for optimal fit that covers your upper or lower teeth, ensure proper bite alignment and lower jaw positioning, and select appropriate materials based on your specific needs and symptoms.
Fitting and Adjustment
During your fitting appointment, we will ensure the bite splint fits precisely and securely over your teeth, make any necessary adjustments for optimal function and comfort, provide detailed instructions for care and use of your night guard, and schedule regular dental check-ups to monitor progress and prevent issues.
Ongoing Care and Monitoring
Regular follow-up visits allow us to monitor the condition of your occlusal splint and check for tooth wear, make adjustments as needed for continued comfort during sleep, assess the effectiveness of treatment in reducing symptoms, and address any concerns about jaw pain, headaches, or other discomfort.
Additional Strategies for Managing Bruxism
While bite splints are our primary treatment recommendation, managing bruxism often requires a comprehensive approach addressing underlying factors:
Stress Management and Reducing Stress
Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing. Consider counseling or therapy if stress or anxiety is a significant factor. Establish a calming bedtime routine to improve sleep quality and reduce poor sleep. Address any feeling anxious or stressed situations that may trigger clenching.
Lifestyle Modifications
Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially before you sleep. Avoid recreational drugs that may increase bruxism episodes. Avoid chewing on non-food items and practice keeping teeth apart when awake. Practice good sleep hygiene with regular sleep schedules. Stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet.
Jaw Exercises and Awareness for Awake Bruxism
Learn proper tongue, teeth, and lip positioning when awake. Practice gentle jaw stretches and relaxation exercises for your jaw muscles. Increase awareness of clenching during waking hours to prevent teeth grinding. Work on keeping your jaw in an ideal position during the day.
Sleep Environment Optimisation
Create a comfortable sleep environment with proper temperature control and minimal noise. Consider treating underlying sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea that may contribute to bruxism. Use a supportive pillow to maintain proper head and neck alignment. Avoid screens and stimulating activities before bedtime to promote restful sleep.
When to Seek Treatment
Don’t wait until significant tooth damage has occurred. Contact Perth City Dental if you experience:
- Regular morning jaw pain or headaches affecting your sleep quality
- Visible tooth wear, chips, or cracks on your adult teeth
- Tooth sensitivity or pain when eating from damaged teeth
- Partners reporting loud grinding sounds while you’re asleep
- Difficulty opening your mouth or jaw joint clicking
- Persistent facial pain or neck muscle tension
Take Action Against Teeth Grinding Today
Don’t let bruxism continue to damage your teeth and affect your quality of sleep. Our experienced dentist and dental lab team at Perth City Dental are here to help you find relief through personalised treatment options using custom-fitted occlusal splints.
Ready to protect your teeth and reduce grinding-related discomfort? Contact us today to schedule your comprehensive bruxism assessment with our dentist and learn how a custom bite splint can help you wake up feeling more comfortable while preventing permanent changes to your teeth.
Through regular dental check-ups and proper use of your occlusal splint, you can effectively manage symptoms of teeth grinding and protect your smile for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
A splint can last up to 5 years. The main issue staining and this can be prevented by using certain denture cleansing tablets. Always bring your splint to your check-up appointments.
It is difficult to talk with a splint in your mouth. If you are a driver or sit at a computer and clench your teeth during the day the splint may be worn, though it is mostly for night wear.
Dogs love splints! They will go hunting for them and chew through containers to find your splint. Always keep the models your splint was made from, and we can make you a new one if your dog does get into mischief.
