Tag Archive for: grinding teeth

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Occlusal Splint Therapy for Occlusal Correction

This type of therapy for occlusal correction is temporary, but does a lot of good things over a period of time to protect your bite and its bad effects on your whole chewing system — even your whole head, down to your shoulders.

I’ve mentioned the MAGO way back when, and how I use it to treat TMJ cases. This is just about identical. It is basically a hard plastic mouthguard designed to fit your mouth in such a way that provides a stable bite and prevents further clenching and/or grinding of your teeth. The splint also relieves jaw and muscle pain caused by malocclusion problems. The kind of treatment you’ll need after using an occlusal splint will determine how long you wear it, and may even change the course of negative effects again caused by your malocclusion.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Dental Occlusal Analysis

“Occlusal” is basically a fancy, dental-scientific word for “bite.” I have mentioned occlusal (bite) analysis in an earlier post, but if you don’t remember it, I shall reiterate:

Occlusal analysis takes a look at your bite, your entire chewing system, comprehensively observing, recording, and adjusting small areas where your bite can reach its full effective, comfortable, and long-lasting potential. This approach — analyzing the whole mouth, jaw, teeth, and their movements — is far superior to adjusting each individual tooth. Adjusting the individual teeth can lead to painful jaw malfunctions and TMJ disorders over time because of prolonged crooked movement (slight though it may be) and repetitive clenching or grinding.

Does your dentist give occlusal analyses? Should you go in for one?

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

 

Bioesthetically Preserving A Healthy Bite

A patient recently came into my office with severely worn-down teeth & an overbite. This was caused by several years’ worth of clenching & grinding. I informed her that she essentially had two choices for restorations. Either she can have several veneers for the ‘visible-when-smiling’ teeth in the front, or full crown restorations for just about the entire mouth.

It raises an important question. How does an individual choose the right dentist to treat her? Choosing the right dentist isn’t only about choosing the dentist who gives you the best price or even the whitest teeth on Day 1. It’s the one who takes all things into consideration including the health of your jaw joint. The importance of preserving an already-healthy bite or taking steps to achieve the ideal bite is of vital importance. Bioesthetic methods are low-maintenance, greatly cost-effective, and save a lot of headaches (literally). Because the initial care in case design will lead to longer lasting restorations

For patients whose bite needs slight adjustment, I usually end my treatment by designing a MAGO — a maxillary anterior guided orthotic. A MAGO is quite different than a mouthguard which is usually a rubber based separator that keeps you from grinding your teeth but does nothing for your poor overexerted jaw muscles.  The MAGO, on the other hand, will simultaneously protect the teeth from clenching/grinding at night (when we have the least control over our bruxing habits) and develop a healthy jaw alignment over time if worn consistently.

Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

TMJ Disorder & Treatment

Always be paying attention to signs and signals your body gives you. If you’re hungry, eat something nourishing. If you’re tired, get some rest. If you don’t feel well, try to cut out habits that might be detrimental to your health. Make time to take care of yourself.

This includes your dental health as well. If, for some reason, you are in good health but still experience headaches, neck aches, ear pain, jaw pain, jaw clicking/popping/crookedness, bruxing, stiffness or pain while chewing, or any other unexplained symptom in your jaw/neck area, talk to your dentist. You may have TMJ (short for temporomandibular joint…the joint in each side of your jaw) disorder. If your dentist cannot give you very much information, find a TMJ specialist and call him for an examination. TMJ can grow into a severely restricting, delicate problem and is best treated when in the early stages of development. You won’t have to keep swallowing painkillers if the source of the problem is fixed!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

TMJ

TMJ disorder, or TMD (both acronyms for the temporo-mandibular joint….the joint in your jaw), is a common ailment that causes a wide range of symptoms from occasional ear pain or jaw clicking/popping, to major aches in the entire head, tooth wear from frequent bruxing (teeth-grinding), migraines, neck pain, and jaw crookedness or tiredness. I specialize in treating TMJ, so if you think TMJ has been a problem for you, contact me (or another TMJ specialist, if location is a problem). It’s important to find one who treats TMJ bioesthetically, aesthetically, and with the healthiest, most natural options available. Your TMJ disorder will grow worse over time if it’s not taken care of. Don’t wait any longer to prevent problems that are bound to happen!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

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Amalgam (Silver Fillings) Removal

(Continued from the previous post:)

Be careful when you have your amalgam filling(s) removed; for several hours the numbness in your face will hinder good judgment on whether your bite feels normal again (when your teeth fit together as you clench down, like normal chewing).

When Dr. Boyajian refills your teeth, a tiny bit of extra filling will stick out above the tooth, and you’ll be able to feel it. He will sand it down to match the rest of your natural tooth’s shape, and check your bite on a piece of film to get rid of any good-bite-blockage. I thought I was good to go, but as “Mrs. Marshmallow Face”, I should have been more careful in determining the status of my bite! Ever so subtly, I can feel just something there that makes my bite go just a bit crooked and it’s not how I remember it. My jaw muscles have also been feeling slightly more tired. Then occasionally I will find myself subconsciously clenching — almost grinding, like my jaw wants to go back to the old way of chewing but can’t find a way. The funny thing is, is that it hardly bothers me at all, but in reality this must be fixed quickly. Even minor adjustments such as this grow into bigger problems. I read and hear about TMJ a lot now, and I’m realizing that this is a way it can start, and I’m thankful I’ve recognized it early! I am going back to the office in a few days to shave off some more of the fillings so my normal bite will return.

If this has ever been your case (maybe you had your fillings removed a long time ago, and you remember not feeling quite normal, but you ignored it and it became the new “normal”), do not wait to have that fixed or at least examined by a dentist! Straying from the natural way your teeth should fit together is terrible for your jaw in the long run. TMJ disorders develop from those “insignificant” bothers, and it’s so important to communicate with your dentist of ANYTHING that wasn’t the way it was before. Granted, it may not always be a negative result, but it is still important to speak up, because the dentist knows a whole lot more about what’s right/wrong in our mouths.

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

TMJ and Gum Disease

How does TMJ relate to periodontal disease (gum disease)? TMJ actually never quite causes gum disease, but worsens an existing case.

A prime example would be one who bruxes, or grinds, his teeth because of TMJ, but doesn’t maintain good oral hygiene. If even an “insignificant” bit of gum disease develops, the teeth-grinding, and possibly other results of TMJ — such as not being able to open the mouth all the way or swollen joints and sensitive spots in the mouth — will only increase the speed at which the disease develops and turns into something serious.

You really have no excuse if you’re just plain lazy about brushing and flossing your pearly whites; but if something like severe jaw and neck pain is preventing you from brushing and flossing regularly or correctly, then you must see a TMJ specialist immediately. Gum disease is common, and therefore doesn’t sound very serious, but it is.

TMJ is difficult enough to treat on its own; that AND gum disease would be extremely painful!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Dental Treatment for TMJ

All that to say, if you have lately been wondering about unexplained neck pain, headaches, jaw pain, jaws locking up, painful chewing, grinding teeth, or crazy popping/clicking sounds, you probably have TMJ. It is very important to find a TMJ specialist (not all dentists are) and begin treatment, as TMJ will become much more difficult to deal with and will require more complicated surgeries if not handled correctly in the beginning.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Bioesthetic Dentistry and TMJ

If you read any of my previous posts concerning TMJ, I’m sure you’ve made some sort of connection between that and bioesthetic dentistry. There is, in fact, a grand relationship between the two!

TMJ stands for “temporo-mandibular joint,” (or, more plainly, your jaw joint). “TMJ” itself, or even “TMD” (temporo-mandibular disorder), both refer to problems with the jaw joint that affect your chewing system. It also involves your surrounding facial muscles, and even your whole head or neck. It is important, if you seem to be experiencing unexplained headaches, neck pain, jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds when chewing, crooked jaw movements, grinding or clenching teeth, or limited opening of your mouth, to see a dentist immediately, as TMJ in the long run will become much worse if it isn’t treated.

Bioesthetics comes in handy here. Bioesthetic dentistry restores the original, genetic bite that functions perfectly and is most comfortable and efficient. That lists everything that TMJ is not! Bioesthetics is absolutely perfect for treating TMJ, as it targets correcting the jaw muscles and alignment, where the root problem is. Not the chipped teeth (yet), or the mysterious grinding on one side of your mouth (yet), but the deep-down muscles that control every single movement your mouth makes. It’s wonderful! And everyone who undergoes treatment is enamored with the fact that they can stop taking pain medications, wearing mouthpieces at night, or crashing hard underneath an unexplained migraine.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Bioesthetic Bite Correction: What Can I Expect?

I am glad you asked! As I rattle off so many great things about bioesthetics, I fail to list what, exactly, the process involves.

First, you must find a dentist who practices bioesthetics (call me if you live in Southern California). The process begins with procedures involving studying and analyzing your chewing system. A maxillary anterior guided orthotic (MAGO) is formed to temporarily correct your bite and relax or stabilize jaw joints and muscles. A MAGO is made out of hard plastic and shaped like a sports mouthpiece, and is designed to prevent further clenching or grinding of your teeth during this process.

Next, records are written and measurements of your jaw joint rotations in their natural positions are taken. A model of your teeth is made to determine what may be causing the problems and what must be done to correct them. Radiographs and photographs taken all around your face, neck, and mouth to help the dentist make the final diagnosis before beginning treatment. Then the ideal form for your teeth is molded in wax and the design is transferred to your mouth to test the comfort and functionality. Treatment begins after this.

The degree of treatment needed will vary from patient to patient. Some cases require just some reshaping or bonding of teeth, while others may need to undergo surgery and complete full mouth rejuvenation. Bioesthetics, as I mentioned before, though, allows the most conservative dental work to be done, so don’t be scared away by false visuals of half a dozen doctors surrounding you in a dark room with all sorts of sharp, whirring tools! Not the case!

After treatment, which can last as long as a couple weeks to several months, your natural, genetically original chewing system will be restored, and you’ll get to enjoy your new smile, knowing that your teeth and jaws are in their right places and working harmoniously together.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles