Did you know that you actually have two different ways of our teeth meeting together, centric occlusion and centric relation? Our treatments are adapted to each patient and based on the detailed diagnosis by our orthodontists.

Protection of the teeth and restorations from undue deflective parafunctional activity which could excessive occlusal/bite forces.

You may only find out that you have bruxism after someone tells you that they saw or heard you grinding your teeth.

Indeed, in the case of sleep apnoea and snoring, such guards afford an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure treatment, which many patients find hard to adapt to. Ada Council On Access, Prevention Interprofessional Relations; ADA Council on Scientific Affairs (2006). The temporary splint can also be used as a bridge solution for jaw pain until a long-term splint can be fabricated. Bruxism is an excessive clenching or grinding of the teeth that is not a part of normal chewing movements. If left to wear down as in the bottom photo, then bacteria can penetrate through to the nerve and a Root Canal may be required.

Mihalik et al (2007) highlighted that ‘they cannot be prepared to mimic the mouth, they fit poorly and look bulky’. Another disadvantage of this technique is that there is no true bonding between the metal wire and the composite filling material. Class III jaw relationship or under-bite to avoid a large anterior projecting labial surface of splint which would not be tolerated.

These conditions can make it difficult to bite and chew, as well as create pain and discomfort in the jaw, cheeks, neck, and shoulders.full-coverage splints: An anterior bite splint leaves the posterior teeth exposed, whereas a full-coverage splint covers all the teeth.

For patients who have bruxism, a condition that involves chronic clenching or grinding of the teeth, a night guard may be recommended. At Impress we work with removable and invisible mouth splints to align the teeth and treat bite problems.In one third of cases, a guard for sleep apnoea is non-effective, offering no therapeutic benefit (Scott et al, 1994). A Michigan splint is made from much harder acrylic and is less likely to be worn down or perforated by clenching and grinding. These side effects are rare, and more studies are needed before conclusive effects can be documented. This is done by placing the guard into boiling water until it softens and then placing it over the maxillary teeth and biting down. A highly trained and experienced dentist and dental technician can make and fit these mouth guards/splints that can deprogram the muscles around your head, face and neck.