Nightguards in Encinitas, CA

Nightguards in Encinitas CAMillions of Americans suffer from teeth grinding. If you wake up with a stiff neck, sore jaws, or headaches, you might be clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. Because your jaws are incredibly strong, regular grinding may cause serious damage to your teeth, in addition to causing discomfort.

Even if no one has ever told you that you grind your teeth while you sleep, having an awareness of the symptoms could help you to identify your condition before it causes significant damage to your smile.

Symptoms of Teeth Grinding

If you notice some of the following symptoms, you might suffer from bruxism:

  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Burning gums
  • Recession
  • Notching at your gumline, or abfractions
  • Clicking or popping jaw joints
  • Head, facial, neck, or shoulder pain
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Facial or jaw swelling
  • Worn, chipped, or cracked teeth

When you schedule an evaluation in our Encinitas dental office, Dr. Ryan Kay can determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend treatment to protect your health and your smile.

What Causes Teeth Grinding?

A number of factors can contribute to teeth clenching and grinding including certain lifestyle factors such as medication and alcohol use. Anti-depressants and other types of medication may increase your tendency to grind your teeth. Alcohol use also increases the likelihood that you will clench and grind at night. Incidentally, alcohol also worsens sleep apnea, another common cause of teeth grinding.

Other factors such as stress levels, certain highly driven personality types, and people who suffer from hyperactivity disorder are all more likely to suffer from bruxism.

In some cases, a poor bite contributes to nighttime grinding. When your teeth do not come together correctly, your jaws find difficulty settling into a comfortable position.

How We Treat Teeth Grinding

Fortunately, we can provide relief from jaw pain, teeth grinding, and clenching. At Dr. Ryan Kay’s office, we offer our patients custom nightguards to address their symptoms and provide protection for their teeth.

Nightguards not only place a barrier between your upper and lower teeth to prevent some of the damage caused by clenching and grinding, but they also help to provide a comfortable position for your jaw to rest while you sleep. If you have invested in crowns, veneers, or dental bonding over the years, your nightguard can also help prolong the life of your dentistry.

The type of nightguard that will work best for you depends on your unique condition. After we determine which nightguard will offer you the most relief, we will take dental impressions and create a nightguard that is comfortable, fits snugly, and stays put while you sleep.

Call Us for an Evaluation

To find out if you might benefit from a custom nightguard, call our dental office and schedule an evaluation with Dr. Kay. He can determine the treatment option to best restore your comfort and protect your teeth.