Night Guards & Mouth Guards in Leesburg, VA

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Night Guards for Bruxism & TMD/TMJ

The act of grinding your teeth at night has been linked to a long list of dental issues. The act of subconsciously grinding your teeth, also known as Bruxism, can also be avoided, along with the issues that come with it, simply by wearing a night guard. Drs. Tracey Nguyen, Steven Frames and the team at Lansdowne Dental Care encourage patients with Bruxism to explore our options for night guards. Our team here at Lansdowne Dental Care want to ensure your optimal oral health, that’s why we offer a wide array of night guards for many different issues that span beyond Bruxism alone.

Candidates for Night Guards

Bruxism isn’t a limited to only people who are unconsciously grinding their teeth at night. Many patients also grind their teeth during the waking hours of the day, without realizing they’re doing it. This issue is known to be caused by anxiety and stress that takes over the day. Other reasons as to why someone may grind their teeth is due to a misaligned bite, a sleep disorder, jaw issues, or even Temporomandibular joint disorder. Certain patients that may be more at risk for this issue are people who are overweight, have certain neurological conditions, or are on certain medications.

If you are unsure if you grind your teeth at night, perhaps one of the following symptoms may be triggered by this? Do you wake-up with stiffness in the jaw, facial pain, soreness in the teeth and gums, ear or headaches? Some people may even notice that they now have mysterious cracks or little chips in their teeth. When a person grinds their teeth in their sleep, with no form of protection, the pressure that this can cause is substantial. Whether you have all natural teeth, or even a mix of natural teeth and dental restorations, you will notice that all of your current teeth will be affected by this issue.

With patients that have dental crowns or dentures, may find that there will be tenderness in or around the area of where the restorations sit- even long after the treatments have healed. The pressure that is created by grinding is added to these restorations and are slowly uprooting them from their new space. The pain that this can cause can be unbearable and costly (as the restorations may need to be replaced sooner than expected).

Fortunately, Drs. Tracey Nguyen, Steven Frames and the team at Lansdowne Dental Care know there is a simple way to prevent these issues simply by wearing a night guard. The Lansdowne Dental Care team is happy to assess patients to see if their tooth grinding (or even jaw clenching) can be alleviated through the use of night guards.

When the doctors at The Lansdowne Dental Care have determined you are a good candidate, you will soon see the benefits from this form of remedy. The doctors will use high-tech imaging tools to custom make the molds to perfectly fit your mouth and teeth. Once you wear this mouth-piece, you will notice the immediate comfort during your normal hours of sleep, and you will feel a release of pressure when you wake up as well. The issues that were once caused by the grinding will be alleviated simply by using a custom-made mouthpiece that will retain the pressure caused by the grinding.

Drs. Tracey Nguyen, Steven Frames and the team at Lansdowne Dental Care even recommend wearing the mouthpiece during what may be stressful times, such as your morning or evening commutes to work. This practice can also alleviate some pains that may be associated with the clenching of the jaw as well as grinding in general.

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More Information on Mouth Guards

The doctors are Lansdowne Dental Care may also recommend a night guard to patients who suffer from Temporomandibular joint or otherwise known as TMJ. TMJ is a syndrome that causes excruciating pain in the jaw bone region that connects the lower jaw to the skull. All areas that are connected (including facial muscles that control chewing) can be affected by this kind of pain. Many patients visit their doctors when their jaw unexpectedly locks when the mouth is open. This usually happens when the patient is yawning, and the jaw doesn’t close comfortably. Many patients with TMJ start to hear bizarre popping noises when using the joint. The pain soon follows with some chronic neck or head pain, ringing in the ears and finally- the onset of Bruxism.

Drs. Tracey Nguyen, Steven Frames and the team at Lansdowne Dental will happily perform advanced x-rays on the patient to get an accurate image of the skull. This way the doctors can determine if the bite of the patient is unaligned or if there are any functional issues causing the painful symptoms.

One of the best ways found that alleviates the pains that are associated with TMJ is by the use of night guards. This remedy helps to hold the jaws together in a more healthy alignment and prevents the patients from grinding their teeth or from clenching their jaw.

The use of a night guard will give a patient surprising results. It is the right (and simple) solution for a complicated matter. Patients often are worried about the challenges that may arise when getting used to wearing the mouthpiece, however, is much less challenging as you may think. Plus, the consequences of not wearing this piece is far worse than actually wearing it! Patients can even lose adult teeth or find that they’ve developed gum disease or decay because of this issue.

Not only will you notice the difference in pain levels, but the fit will be a comforting as a glove for your teeth. The flawless fit can be achieved by our precise imaging tools.

Call to Schedule an Appointment

As you can see above, there can be a simple answer to a much-complicated issue you may be dealing with. Don’t suffer any longer and try this remedy as it can ease your pain of bruxism or TMD. If you are unsure if this remedy is the right choice for you, call the doctors at Lansdowne Dental Care, and we can schedule an appointment to perform a full assessment with you. Contact us using our online Contact Form or by calling us at 703-750- 8185.

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Meet Dr. Tracey Nguyen

Dr. Tracey Nguyen received her Doctor of Dental Surgery, Magna cum laude, at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Nguyen is trained in all phases of implant dentistry, and has received extensive training in cosmetic dentistry. She is also a manuscript/review editor for the Academy of General Dentistry.

We are located in Leesburg, VA but proudly serve Lansdowne, Reston, Broadlands, Ashburn, Sterling, and all neighboring communities.