Do Mouth Guards Stop Grinding Teeth?
Saturday, October 18th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Do you grind your teeth at night? Do you have bruxism? If you do, your dentist might be trying to get you to invest in mouth guards to protect your teeth.
I say “invest” because these mouth guards are not typically cheap. They normally run upwards of $600.00 because they are custom fit to your teeth. Your dentist will have to take impressions of your mouth and teeth in order to have the mouth guards specially made. What should you do? On one hand you have a problem that needs to be addressed because if left alone, your teeth grinding will eventually cause serious damage to your teeth. Your jaw muscles are very strong and your teeth’s enamel cannot withstand the grinding and pressure forever. Yet on the other hand, a mouth guard is only a temporary solution designed to cover up the problem.
The problem with these mouth guards is that they don’t stop you from your nightly teeth grinding. They do protect your teeth as advertised, but who wants to have to wear a mouth guard for the rest of their life? I know I would rather not. My last mouthpiece was when I had braces and I don’t want to have to deal with another mouth apparatus in this lifetime. The question is, how to stop teeth grinding?
What are the chances of someone actually wearing a mouth guard every night for the rest of their life? After spending $600.00 I’m sure the incentive will be great to wear it for a while but like anything else the mouth guard will lose its appeal and end up in a drawer. Additionally, if you do wear it every night it will eventually get worn down. That will mean it will need to be replaced which will mean another $600.00 down the road.
What then, is the solution if the dentist’s recommendation for a mouth guard for your bruxism is not to your liking? You can try to cure your problem yourself and that is what I am trying to do. Grinding teeth at night is usually a symptom of stress and other things that you can work on to alleviate as long as you are able to identify the problem. There is no reason why you should feel pressured by your dentist to get the mouth guard that is really only a band-aid solution. Work on the problem and stop griding teeth yourself rather than cover it up with a mouth guard. There are ways to naturally get your bruxism under control and you once you find the cure, you will be glad you did.
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