bruxism treatment
Dental Splints for Bruxism: Clinical Guide
The most popular advice about dental splints for bruxism is also the most misleading: wear a nightguard and the grinding will stop. A splint can separate opposing teeth, limit direct enamel-to-enamel contact, and provide a reversible way to manage occlusal risk. It usually doesn't eliminate the neurological behavior of bruxism, and the strongest clinical reviews…
Best Mouth Guard: 7 Picks for Sports and Sleep
An athlete needs a guard that stays secure through contact. A night grinder needs durable occlusal coverage. A patient with suspected sleep apnea may need a mandibular advancement device, or MAD, rather than a conventional night guard. Those appliances solve different problems, so the best mouth guard depends on the indication, fit pathway, material, retention,…
Occlusal Bite Guard Guide for Restorative Practices
Bruxism is common enough to make the occlusal bite guard a routine restorative consideration. In U.S. adults, self-reported sleep bruxism ranges from 8% to 16%, while self-reported awake bruxism ranges from 22% to 30%, according to a National Dental Practice-Based Research Network paper summarized in this bruxism reference. The clinical question, however, isn't whether a…
Deprogrammer Night Guard: How It Works and When You Need One
A deprogrammer night guard is a hard, flat-plane upper appliance that keeps the posterior teeth apart, allowing the lateral pterygoid muscles to release and the condyles to seat into a stable position. In clinical reports, an anterior deprogrammer reduced bruxism events by 53.1% in sleep phase 1, 41.9% in phase 2, 37.8% in phase 3,…
Hard vs Soft Night Guard: How to Choose the Right One
The most common advice on a hard vs soft night guard is too simple. “Soft for comfort, hard for protection” sounds neat, but that shortcut can steer treatment the wrong way if the goal is muscle suppression, pain relief, or restoration protection. A guard that feels pleasant on night one isn’t automatically the right appliance…