When Grinding Threatens Your Gums, Your Teeth and Your Mornings
Pam's main concern was severe gum recession. She was told that any dental work would not hold up if the nighttime grinding continued.
That advice is common for good reason: grinding and clenching, often during sleep, put heavy ongoing force on teeth, gums and jaw muscles. Over time that force can wear and fracture teeth and can contribute to gum and tooth breakdown, and it often shows up as morning tension, tight muscles and headaches, which is exactly what Pam noticed.
She had been advised for a while to look into a night appliance, but hesitated because of the cost and because friends had told her they found theirs uncomfortable and stopped wearing them. Her dentist encouraged her to give one a try.
Pam says her splint has been comfortable from the start, and that she has never hesitated to wear it. She used to wake up tense, with tight muscles and headaches; she says her stress headaches have improved, as her dentist had said they would. She also says she can talk with it in, though maybe not perfectly clearly. Results vary from person to person, but a custom oral appliance is usually where we start: a conservative, reversible way to take strain off the teeth and jaw.
Her message to others: if you need a splint, don't hesitate. She says it has been a very good thing.