Bruxism: definition, symptoms, nightguards
Definition, symptoms, nightguards
How to alleviate headaches and get back to sleeping peacefully… The nightguard is a removable appliance designed to prevent teeth grinding and rehabilitate chewing muscles by helping them to relax again. Simple and comfortable, you won’t be able to do without it.
Did you know that aligners can straighten teeth?
Nightguards and the treatment of bruxism at CHD
The dentist first identifies whether it is bruxism (grinding) or clenching (clenching of the teeth). These phenomena can occur at any time, but are more likely to occur unconsciously at night.
And to find out more, our explanatory video can help you
Tooth wear can result in worn surfaces and loss of dental tissue, leading to muscle and joint compensation and radiating pain. Mainly caused by anxiety and stress.
Rates
| Nightguards | 650.- |
Exact quotation before treatment.
*You can pay in installments.
A comprehensive first meeting
Enables a rigorous diagnosis to be made and ultra-precise optical impressions to be taken using a 3D digital camera.
This crucial stage is followed by the personalised design of your gutter by our experts, in close collaboration with our team of qualified technicians.
From the second appointment
The mouthpiece is delivered and fitted. Designed for a single arch, usually the upper teeth, it partially covers the teeth. Its structure combines a comfortable inner sheet with a rigid outer sheet, offering protection and rehabilitation-relaxation of the masticatory muscles.
Fair & transparent prices
We strive to maintain unbeatable value for money: reasonable prices, which have not changed since 2016, for quality of care that has earned us numerous awards:
Advice
At the end of the session, the dentist will make precise adjustments to the surface of the mouthguard and give advice on how to take optimum care of it.
Many patients suffer from migraines and neck pain and are unable to find the cause… until they are diagnosed with bruxism.
Dr Guau, Dentist, Clinique CHD Genève.
Next appointment
Your next appointment (recall) is scheduled as part of the personalised follow-up offered by CHD. This is based on your lifestyle, the quality of your saliva and other parameters, to ensure that your oral health remains at an optimum level. And you don’t have to worry about it any more, we’ll take care of reminding you: text message, letter, email, it’s your choice!
Our dental clinics
Canton of Vaud
CHD Lausanne Bessières
Rue Saint-Martin 9, 1003 Lausanne
CHD Lausanne Sallaz
Route de Berne 1, 1010 Lausanne
CHD Yverdon
Av. Haldimand 105, 1400 Yverdon
Canton of Geneva
CHD Genève Eaux-Vives
Rue F. Versonnex 7, 1207 Geneva
CHD Genève Cornavin
Rue de Lausanne 65, 1202 Geneva
CHD Meyrin
Ch. de Riantbosson 19, 1217 Meyrin
Find out more about bruxism
What is the definition of bruxism?
Bruxism is the grinding or clenching of teeth. Although it can occur day or night, grinding is more common when we are asleep.
Bruxism is so severe in some people that it is possible to see wear on their teeth. It can also cause muscle tension or pain.
The causes of bruxism are multifactorial, but anxiety and stress are the main ones.
What are the symptoms and dangers of bruxism?
The wear caused by bruxism appears in the form of pits on the top surface of the teeth (the side of the tooth with which you bite) and then becomes visible at the neck of the teeth, i.e. at the margin between the gum and the tooth.
Most of the time, this involves loss of enamel, which gradually deepens along the tooth as a result of vertical stress and breaks the enamel where it is thinnest. These lesions are not necessarily noticeable and appear very slowly, year after year.
Finally, when the loss is very significant, the second layer of the tooth, called the “dentine“, is exposed and sensitivity or even pain may actually appear.
Over time, the muscles involved in chewing may become tense, and this condition may even be linked to headaches.
Most of the time, anxiety and stress are linked to this phenomenon, but they are not the only causes: we speak of a multi-etiological phenomenon.
How is bruxism treated?
Since the problem is multifactorial and stress plays a major role, there is no miracle cure. However, you should always start with non-invasive, reversible approaches.
We recommend wearing an mouthguard (called a Michigan splint) to prevent dental damage, relax your muscles and relieve pressure on your joint.
Made to measure from impressions of your teeth, a splint is an acrylic mouthguard that covers the chewing surface of your teeth, covers only one arch of your teeth (usually the upper arch) and has no palate. It is therefore only in contact with the teeth.
It can be worn day or night and not only has a protective role, but also helps the chewing muscles to relearn how to relax. So we’re talking about protection and rehabilitation.
How many appointments do you need?
2 appointments are required to create a mouthpiece of this kind.
– The first appointment is to examine your mouth and take digital impressions, with a view to manufacturing the mouthguard.
– The technician will then draw the shape of the mouthguard on the 3D model, have it machined and create the finishing touches by hand.
– At the second appointment, we will place the nightguard in your mouth and make any necessary adjustments. Regular monitoring and adjustments may be necessary over the medium and long term, as wear and tear of the material is inevitable.
The lifespan of such a mouthguard is considered to be between 5 and 9 years.