All Coast Dental

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Nightguards


Nightguards are placed in the mouth to act as a “cushion” during sleep to prevent someone from grinding or gnashing their teeth together. Some people actually do this during the day as well. Grinding your teeth, also known as bruxism, damages enamel, wears down teeth, causes jaw pain, and irritates gums. If you think you are grinding your teeth, we at All Coast Dental in Pacific can help.




Severe teeth grinding can lead to tension-type headaches and disorders in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), where a clicking noise is heard when you open and close your mouth. Teeth grinding has also been seen in quite a few children. According to WebMD, “approximately 15% to 33% of children grind their teeth.” The first step to preventing teeth grinding is to determine what is causing it. Sometimes a nightguard or change in lifestyle is all you need to prevent it.




There are several factors that increase the chances of grinding your teeth:




- Stress and anxiety


- Age (though common in children, bruxism goes away by adulthood)


- Aggressive or competitive personality type


- Psychiatric medications


- Smoking tobacco


- Consuming caffeine or alcohol


- Family history of teeth grinding


- Other disorders such as Parkinson's, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, night terrors, sleep apnea, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)



All Coast Dental is located at 2180 Garnet Ave., Suite 1-K, in Pacific, CA 92109. For more information about nightguards or to schedule an appointment, please visit allcoastdental.net or call 858-270-4904.


 



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