Westchester Bruxism Treatment for Teeth Grinding
Is your teeth grinding giving you a pain in the neck?
Teeth grinding – bruxism – and clenching your jaw can result in painful symptoms like chronic head and neck pain and migraines. This is often caused by a misaligned dental bite that impacts the joint in your jaw (temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) which controls mouth movement.
Get relief from chronic pain with Westchester bruxism Treatment!
The Westchester bruxism treatment dentist provides various options for treating teeth grinding and clenching. We will work with you to find the best method of treatment for you, because a long-term solution to bruxing and jaw clenching can eliminate chronic pain.
Teeth grinding leads to serious oral health problems
If your bite is not balanced – meaning you do not bite evenly on both sides – your back teeth meet first, and the jaw must move out of its normal position to bring the rest of your teeth together. This puts constant, unnatural force on the joint and surrounding muscles causing stress on the joint and muscles and resulting in chronic head and neck pain.
Under normal circumstances your jaw exerts an enormous amount of force so that you can chew properly. Imagine that same force applied directly to your teeth as they come in contact with each other when you’re not chewing. This excessive pressure can cause:
- Headaches and pain in neck and shoulder muscles
- Popping or clicking sounds when chewing or speaking
- Loosening of teeth
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Deterioration of the temporomandibular joint
The Westchester bruxism doctor provides relief from chronic pain
We will review your situation carefully and work with you to develop a treatment plan that removes the problem of clenching and grinding, thereby reducing or eliminating chronic head and neck pain. There are a number of dental appliances that we prescribe, depending on your needs.
E-Appliance
The E-Appliance is a double arch orthotic – meaning it covers both upper and lower teeth. It looks and acts similarly to a mouth guard but is designed to correct bite problems and their painful symptoms. The two arches of the device contact one another, allowing the muscles to move the joint into the correct position.
NTI Appliance
The NTI appliance is a small custom-made device that is used to prevent clenching of your teeth. It fits over the front teeth and prevents them from making contact, eliminating the ability to clench your teeth and reducing associated painful symptoms.
Night Guards
Does your jaw feel stiff or do you have difficulty opening your mouth wide? Are your teeth sensitive to cold drinks? Do you jaw muscles feel tired in the morning? You may be grinding your teeth at night (a medical condition called buxism) or you may be clenching your teeth, which can be just as harmful. People with nighttime grinding habits may wear away their tooth enamel “ten times faster” thank those without “abusive chewing habits.” Eventually, your teeth may be worn down and destoyed.
In addition to relieving head, neck, jaw joint and shoulder pains, treating bruxism and clenching is cost effective compared to ignoring the condition and exposing teeth to continued grinding. Without treatment, crowns (caps), bridges, implants, and dentures are often needed to repair or replace worn and damaged teeth. Ask your dentist if a nightguard can help to provide temporary relief from grinding, bruxing or clenching.
A Night Guard is a mouth guard that you wear while sleeping. It is custom-made and designed to prevent clenching and grinding while you sleep. This allows the muscles to relax and helps the joint in your jaw to rest in a natural position.
