Teeth
grinding habits are referred to as Bruxism in medical
terminology. Bruxism is an oral condition characterised
by teeth grinding and (or) teeth clenching; this
condition is present usually as a nocturnal habit but it
is also known to be present as a diurnal habit as well.
Being multi factorial in nature, teeth grinding causes
are not easy to establish and therefore most teeth
grinding solutions are sought in drugs and devices that
are currently available to manage the condition.
Teeth
grinding and mouth guards
Mouth
guards are bite pads that are meant for use between the
upper and lower teeth to minimize the damage that the
teeth grinding motions can inflict on the teeth. Teeth
grinding can lead to severe wear and tear of teeth
leading to teeth loss as well as other related dental
and jaw (as well as a few other) dysfunctions.
Mouth
guards are also called night guards since they are
mostly required during the sleep times at night. Day
time use of mouth guards are also known for cases where
the teeth grinding habit is persistent through the day.
Mouth guards come in the following most commonly
available types:
- Custom
made mouth guards – of all types of mouth guards, the
custom made mouth guards are the best in terms of
attaining a good fit and better comfort levels while
wearing the device. These mouth guards are made of
high quality material that is moulded to an
individual’s requirement.
- Boil and
bite mouth guards – this type of mouth guards are made
of special thermoplastic material and can be said to
be of a custom fit variety only to a certain extent.
They are typically available in heat resistant
materials that can be softened by boiling and then
used between the teeth so as to allow the softened
mouth guard to take the shape of an individual’s teeth
pattern.
- Stock
mouth guards – these mouth guards are available off
the counter and ready for use by anyone seeking a
mouth guard. Such types of mouth guards are usually
available only in the standard sizes of large, medium
and small and how well they fit the user can never be
fully guaranteed on purchase.
It is
essential to keep in mind that mouth guards are not a
solution to teeth grinding. These devices are only
damage control methods. For a truly long lasting
solution to teeth grinding, one has to get an
examination to identify the root cause of the problem
and initiate holistic treatment measures
thereafter.
