Any Dentists on here able to give advice please?

My dentist has advised me to wear a Bruxism splint at night as my teeth and gums are showing signs of Bruxism.

I bought a gum shield style grind guard from boots for about £20 which I have worn for over a year.

He reckons that the universal type grind guards are rubbish, making things worse and I need to spend £700 to have a proper splint fitted and made.

These are made from acrylic and can last for 20 years however he’s had patients bite through them within a year.

I’m very hesitant about spending £700 on a fragile piece of plastic with no guarantee. I also don’t want to damage my teeth!

Are electronic ‘Biofeedback headbands any good? Are there any other treatments to consider?

Many thanks in advance!

Bruxism is dead common. Generally it only needs treating if it’s causing symptoms or excessive wear (or the bruxing is likely to cause damage to fancy dental work like veneers/crowns, etc). Usually a soft splint (but probably custom made rather than a general one from a chemist) is the first bit of treatment. A hard splint as you describe may be necessary for a variety of reasons – to eliminate the teeth and the way the teeth guide the movements of the jaw as a possible cause of symptoms; as a tool to get the jaw into a stable position prior to adjustment or restoration into that position, or simply to provide tougher protection to the teeth than a soft splint would do.

£700 sounds a bit steep but it is precision made (or should be) by a good technician who knows what they’re doing and usually takes up a lot of time in subsequent adjustments as the jaw repositions.

I’ve never heard of ‘biofeedback headbands’ . . .

HTH

Thanks for the reply Paul. 🙂

Biofeedback headbands are gizmos that make a noise (not enough to wake you up) when you grind your teeth at night. In so doing you ‘train yourself’ not to grind. That’s my understanding from what I’ve read anyway!

I can appreciate the work that may go into a custom splint as I work as a product designer however £700 is a lot of money and I don’t like the fact that the dentist drives a Porsche……!

The dentist used the analogy of a stress ball when describing the bite guard I already have in that the muscles are exercised and just end up getting stronger. I would have thought that a more flexible ‘squidgy’ bite guard would reduce the shock as well as preventing tooth wear.

The main problem is receding gums as my teeth are sound with no fillings or anything.

What’s to stop me making my own grind guard from sheet acrylic for less than 20p? The dentist was talking about the jaw being a lever and force and moments etc. But I can’t help thinking he was trying to techno baffle me!

Thanks for your help….much appreciated!

Get a second opinion from another dentist?

Second opinion time

Second opinion time

Indeed.

Headbands. Could be good, could be snake oil. Doesn’t seem to be much published evidence to support their use which is probably why I’ve not heard of them. You could be an early adopter – do you have a fat bike? 😉

The dentist used the analogy of a stress ball when describing the bite guard I already have in that the muscles are exercised and just end up getting stronger

Again – I’m not sure of the evidence for this.

20p acrylic? For the skill and know-how to get it the right shape I would pay at least £100 probably more – not checked for a while.

Yup, they may be right, but you may also be able to get sensible treatment cheaper? Basically you are not convinced by the need/benefit of th treatment advised, in this case it tends not to end well. Seek a second opinion or clarification from your dentist before embarking on any treatment, but expect a hard spolint to be well in excess of £2-300 from any dentist who knows what they are doing/taking on!
A soft nightguard, depending on your particular case is sometimes well worth a try.

For the skill and know-how to get it the right shape I would pay at least £100 probably more

To clarify – I mean I, as a dentist, would pay a technician this amount or more.

awww crap, the real dentists are already here. I was looking forward to having a punt on this one 🙁

Thanks all!

Sounds like a second opinion would be a good idea!

Hopefully I’ll save myself a large amount of money!

Much appreciated!

Safe cycling….look after your teeth!

Cheers!