An observation I have recently noticed in my patients is the fracturing of teeth and restorations due to stress. One way our bodies are programmed to relieve stress is by clenching and grinding our teeth during sleep.   It is not known why this occurs but stress reduction does occur by grinding and clenching. 

Exercise, meditation and a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce your inner stress.  Stress is usually caused by work, relationships and/or money meaning life. You may wonder how I know if I am clenching or grinding my teeth. Not a problem, everyone knows if they are clenching or grinding their teeth.

Here are the symptoms you will experience.  Upon waking in the morning do your jaws feel stiff? Do the muscles on the side of your head feel sore? Do you experience stiffness when moving your jaw around? If so then you are clenching or grinding in your sleep.  If you find yourself clenching or grinding during the day; while you are at your desk or just walking down the street this means you are not getting enough relief at night and your stress is spilling over into your conscious life.

If this is you, we have a solution for your problem. We can fabricate for you a night guard which is a soft piece of material which is custom made to fit either the entire upper or lower arch of your teeth. We have fabricated hundreds of these devices over the years with our patients being very happy with the results.

Danger Will Robinson do not buy a do it yourself night guard at CVS or Duane Reade. You may save yourself some money but you could damage your jaw joint which could be a real downer. Realize you move your lower jaw whenever you eat, talk and/or swallow.  Your jaw joint is a unique three-way joint.  The only three way joint in your body. 

You can move your jaw forward, back and side to side in addition to opening and closing. It is a miracle of natural evolution as is the rest of your body. All other joints in your body such as your elbow or knee just move in only one plane.  Try it and you will see what I am talking about.  It is better to go with NO night guard than to fabricate a do it yourself one. 

The night guard we make has to fit your teeth perfectly and be correctly vertically positioned to work with your jaw joints on either side of your head. Stress usually occurs in waves meaning you will be stressed for several days and then the condition will improve.  Most of our patients wear their night guard’s intermittently when they are experiencing pain.  If you wake up in the morning and you feel stiffness in one or both of your jaw joints or tension on either side of your head then for the next couple of nights you should wear the night guard we have fabricated for you.  

After wearing your night guard upon waking the next morning, you will feel better.  The night guard in addition to relieving stress in your jaws will help to prevent excessive wear that grinding does to your teeth. Grinding at night can significantly reduce the longevity of your teeth. It is almost like how the Grand Canyon was formed. The Colorado River over time created the Grand Canyon through erosion. Continual grinding over time will erode or flatten out your teeth removing the enamel protective layer of your teeth.

Once the enamel layer is gone then the inside of your tooth is exposed. The inside of your teeth is made of dentin which wears more quickly than enamel. Exposure of the dentin layer of your tooth can lead to increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold and a greater incidence for tooth decay. This is important because as you grind down your teeth the vertical dimension which is the height between your upper and lower jaws decreases. 

This in turn changes the angulations of your jaw joints eventually leading to discomfort and problems.  Think of it as your car’s tires being out of alignment and so the tires do not wear evenly or if your feet are not straight the heels of your shoes become uneven. Tires and shoes can easily be replaced while changing out your jaw joints is not a possibility.

If you have dental restorations in your mouth you probably are in no hurry to replace them. First you would have to come and see me and undergo additional dental treatment let alone the cost and time involved in having these restorations replaced. Better to protect what you have than to replace them.

I could fabricate a metal mouth like jaws in the James Bond movies but you probably do not want to be the talk of the town under those circumstances. So if you feel you are experiencing any of the problems discussed here, call us today at 212 517 9000 to schedule a consultation.  Do not let stress damage you or your teeth.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!