Night Guards and Athletic Mouth Guards in West Chester
Do you ever notice yourself clenching your jaw together while you’re working on an important task? Or have you ever realized you’ve been grinding your teeth unintentionally while doing something stressful?
Most of us tend to grind our teeth when we’re concentrating intently or feeling under some type of pressure. Chronic teeth grinding known as “bruxism” in dentistry, is a common problem that causes painful symptoms like headaches and neck pain. Unfortunately, when we grind our teeth—a habit called “bruxing”—we create abnormal wear and tear on our teeth and problems with the TMJ or temporomandibular joint.
If the uncomfortable symptoms of bruxism disrupt your life, call our West Chester, OH dentist, Dr. Joel R. Koch, today at (513) 779-2200. A customized mouth guard made using impressions of your teeth can reduce grinding and its symptoms, and in turn protect your smile and reduce your discomfort.
- Why do I grind my teeth?
- What are the symptoms of teeth grinding?
- How can a mouth guard protect my smile?
- Why is it important to wear a mouth guard while I play sports?
- How often do I need to wear my mouth guard?
Why do I grind my teeth?
Teeth grinding can be difficult to treat because it has a wide range of causes. Different stressors or lifestyle factors can lead to a tendency to grind, so the best first step is to schedule a dental exam with Dr. Koch.
During a consultation for teeth grinding in West Chester, Dr. Koch will talk to you about your symptoms and evaluate your teeth, jaw, and dental bite to determine why you’re grinding your teeth. In many cases, we find that chronic teeth grinding is a result of:
- Muscle tension
- Crooked or crowded teeth
- Misaligned dental bite
- Injury or trauma to the TMJ
Because each of these causes presents itself differently and has its own related symptoms to treat, we will always approach your situation in the best way for you. For example, crooked or crowded teeth may also be causing you additional pain or making it hard to brush and floss your teeth effectively.
Similarly, a misaligned bite is a problem because your teeth may not meet evenly on both sides of your mouth when you bite down. This places excessive force on one side of your mouth and can lead to overuse and eventual tooth breakage.
You may also clench or grind the teeth on the affected side of your mouth. This puts pressure on your jaw joint and teeth that were never meant to absorb that kind of force can break down or become worn, and may be why you experience headaches and neck pain.
When we diagnose and treat your bruxism and grinding, we will also make recommendations on treating these types of root-cause conditions. For crooked teeth, adult braces or Invisalign may be the answer. If you struggle with muscle tension, we might suggest cold or hot compresses, jaw exercises, or even BOTOX® injections to treat the underlying problems.
At the dental office of Dr. Joel R. Koch, we want to treat both your teeth grinding and related oral health problems and symptoms. By comprehensively approaching your dental treatment, we give you the best chance at staying healthy and pain-free for the long-term.
What are the symptoms of teeth grinding?
Whether done consciously or not, bruxism and teeth grinding will lead to both pain and cosmetic and structural damage to your smile. When your mouth undergoes unnecessary, constant pressure and force, that force will take its toll on your teeth and jaw muscles.
We treat patients for bruxism-related pain in West Chester, OH. Common specific symptoms of teeth grinding and clenching include:
- Tired, stiff, and “locked” jaw muscles
- Increased headaches and facial tenderness
- Pain that radiates along the jaw and into the ear
- Visible cracks and breaks in the teeth
- Teeth that look short and worn
- Waking in the morning with headache or jaw pain
Because teeth grinding can occur while you’re asleep, you may not even realize you’re doing it until your West Chester dentist diagnosis the condition. Once you become aware of your clenching and grinding, it’s crucial to seek treatment right away so you can preserve and protect your teeth.
How can a mouth guard protect my smile?
Once you’ve established that teeth grinding is harming your oral health, it’s time to take action and find relief from your symptoms.
Here at the dental office of Dr. Joel Koch, we offer custom mouth guards so our patients can protect their beautiful smiles. Whether you need a mouth guard for sleeping, daytime use, or specifically for sports, we have you covered!
You will wear your custom mouth guard over your teeth, much like a retainer or teeth whitening tray. Because the guard surrounds your teeth in thick, durable plastic, it prevents your teeth from touching when grinding and protects your tooth enamel.
Why is it important to wear a mouth guard while I play sports?
Sports are a fun, popular way to socialize and stay in shape. Contact sports, however, do naturally increase your risk of sustaining a dental injury. Tooth emergencies are all too common when people play sports without using a mouth guard, which is why you should always protect yourself with a custom athletic mouth guard whenever you can.
Because dental trauma is often linked to sports we offer personalized sports mouthguards at our West Chester dental office as an easy way to avoid tooth injuries and the costly dental treatment needed to repair them. 
Whether you need a mouth guard for yourself or for a child who plays sports, we can create a perfect dental appliance that’s just right for covering and safeguarding your smile. Since we customize our guards using impressions we take of your teeth, they are far superior to the generic versions you can purchase over the counter. Our sports guards consist of a much sturdier material, and the result is super protection for you and your children.
How often do I need to wear my mouth guard?
Whether your mouth guard is for sports or a night guard to protect your teeth from grinding while you sleep, you’ll see better results the more often you wear it. You should, of course, wear your athletic mouth guard every time you play a contact sport, and we recommend wearing your traditional mouth guard every night and potentially during the day as well, depending on Dr. Koch’s specific evaluations.
You will also need to replace your mouth guard periodically to give your teeth the best protection. Over time, your bite will wear down the thermoplastic material and leave it thinner, weaker, and potentially even with some holes. When you notice visible signs of wear on your West Chester mouth guard, it’s time for a new one.
Get Fitted for Your New Custom Mouth Guard Today
Now that you understand more about teeth clenching and grinding, as well as athletic dental injuries, it’s time to get fitted for your very own mouth guard. Our dentist in 45241 is accepting new patients and can meet with you in the coming weeks to evaluate your smile and create a treatment plan to address your pain and underlying issues causing your bruxism.
To get started or learn more about dental mouth guards in West Chester, give us a call today at (513) 779-2200.
