Occlusal Guards in Palmdale CA
Teeth grinding or clenching can really do damage to the enamel of your teeth. When your enamel becomes damaged it can affect the way that your smile looks, and even cause increased tooth sensitivity. Our experienced dentist, Dr. James Powell, can provide you with a comfortable, custom-made occlusal guard at Exceptional Dentistry in Palmdale, CA to preserve your teeth and smile so that you can eat, speak, and live free of discomfort. Schedule your visit today.
What Is An Occlusal Guard?
An occlusal guard is a removable dental appliance that you wear. It looks a lot like a retainer, but is made from thicker and stronger materials.
The main benefits of an occlusal guard are that it protects against:
- Bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching)
- Excessive tooth wear (leading to chipped, flattened, cracked or very worn teeth)
- Increased tooth sensitivity
FAQs Occlusal Guard
You typically wear it at night. However, if you grind your teeth during the day, with specific activities you could also wear it then.
Occlusal guards look similar to clear retainers or even mouth guards. They are removable, fit snuggly to your teeth, and tend to be a bit softer & thicker than a clear retainer.
Occlusal guards are used to slow down tooth wear and only protect the teeth while wearing it. They are used for people who are grinding their teeth to help prevent more damage from occurring, but they do not treat the cause. You will continue to grind or clench when wearing one of these devices, so they do not help relieve TMD symptoms.
Since an occlusal guard doesn’t treat the actual cause of teeth grinding, it must be worn until the cause of the teeth grinding is corrected. Treatments that focus on treating the cause vs. protecting against symptoms would include things like TMD treatments, Dental Orthotics, and the DNA Appliance.