Wesbrook Village Dental Centre
Dental Appliances
Dental Services
Dental Appliances
Dental appliances come in many forms and are used to help maintain and improve your oral health. They include night guards, retainers, and sports mouth guards, all of which are custom-made in the dental lab and fitted to ensure optimal function and comfort.
Night Guards
People who grind their teeth at night suffer from a condition known as bruxism. Ongoing or heavy grinding can result in tooth damage, including chipping and cracking of the teeth. Other symptoms of bruxism include pain and misalignment in the jaw. If you suffer from bruxism, your dentist may recommend a night guard to protect your teeth from harm.
Retainers
If you have had orthodontic treatment to correct the alignment of your teeth, your dentist may suggest wearing a retainer after your treatment has ended; a retainer is usually worn at night to keep the newly aligned teeth from shifting out of place. There are two common forms of retainer—metal retainers and clear aligners.
Sports Mouth Guards
If you play sports and risk injury to the face, you might want to consider a sports mouth guard. Sports mouth guards help to protect your teeth from damage by shielding them from any impact. While boil and bite mouth guards can help, custom-made appliances are more comfortable in the mouth, providing a high level of protection.
Snoring Devices & Sleep Apnea Devices
Snoring can greatly affect your quality of life as well as the mood of anyone sleeping around you. If snoring is interfering with your day-to-day functioning, we recommend consulting with your dentist to alleviate the problem and improve your general health.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is a condition that occurs when air can’t flow smoothly through your mouth and nose. People with sleep apnea experience a collapse of the tongue, throat, or in the muscles in the roof of the mouth, which blocks the airway and limits the amount of air that can enter. While mild or occasional snoring is normal, chronic snoring points to a larger issue that may result in a heart attack or stroke.
Complications Caused by Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Frequent and chronic snoring that affects the length and quality of sleep can severely impact your health, resulting in:
- Tiredness during the day
- Irritability and frustration
- Difficulty concentrating
- A greater risk of suffering from high blood pressure
We recommend talking to your dentist about snoring and sleep apnea devices that can help alleviate snoring and restore a good night’s sleep.
TMD/TMJ Devices
If you are experiencing pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint, you are likely suffering from temporomandibular jaw disorder. TMD can be caused by teeth grinding (bruxism) or stress. There are more than 30 conditions that can result in TMD, and your dentist may recommend the use of an intraoral device to help alleviate pain and other symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of TMD?
While not all patients experience the pain that is commonly associated with TMD, there are several other symptoms to be aware of. These include:
- Pain that originates in the jaw area and radiates to the face or neck.
- Pain when chewing.
- Stiffness of the jaw.
- Locking of the jaw or limited movement.
- a noticeable clicking or popping when opening and closing the jaw.
- A change in the alignment of the upper and lower teeth.
How to Alleviate TMD
Your dentist may take several approaches to help relieve the symptoms of TMD, including the use of intraoral devices; these include nightguards, occlusal splints, and stabilization appliances.
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