Grinding your teeth at night is a bigger problem than you may realize. Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, wears down enamel and destroys crowns and other dental work. It can also lead to TMJ, painful inflammation of jaw muscles, or disturb your sleep. Nightguards are a comfortable and affordable way to protect your teeth against bruxism.
A nightguard is a custom-fitted appliance you wear while you sleep that keeps your teeth from grinding at night. Similar to an athletic mouthpiece, custom nightguards are manufactured to fit your personal anatomy and are flexible, thin, and comfortable enough to wear while sleeping.
TMJ & Nightguards
Nightguards can be effective in reducing symptoms of TMJ and preventing further damage to the jaw joint. Nightguards help prevent teeth grinding and jaw clenching during sleep. Nightguards are typically made of soft or hard plastic and are worn over the top or bottom teeth to cushion the teeth and protect the jaw joint from the stress of grinding or clenching. Dr. Hall can customize a nightguard to help alleviate your TMJ symptoms.
Botox for TMJ
At Downtown Dental Group, we offer Botox as a treatment for patients suffering from TMJ disorders. When injected into the muscles that control jaw movement, Botox relaxes and reduces pain and stiffness associated with TMJ disorders.
Additionally, when the jaw muscles are relaxed, it can alleviate tension headaches caused by constant muscle contraction. Patients with TMJ disorders often experience headaches, facial pain, and neck pain as a result of the tension in their jaw muscles, so relaxing these muscles can provide significant relief from symptoms.