Is your daily grind wrecking your teeth?
Updated: Oct 6, 2020
We are living in a COVID age, and our teeth seem to be taking the brunt of our stress.
I can’t help but notice, since we reopened for business after the government-instigated shut down, people are wrecking their teeth. In light of our face-to-face observations among our patients, we’d like to offer you a discounted solution for the worst kind of wear and tear. What am I talking about? Read on and find out.
Tooth grinding and clenching are among the most damaging occurrences dentists observe.
Grinding our teeth and clenching our jaws, has to be one of the strangest things human beings do. About 90% of all patients I see, maybe more, exhibit visible signs, or report symptoms congruent with grinding or clenching. Yet, the majority of those don’t realize their symptoms are related to grinding or clenching. What’s more, neighbors that will readily convey to you the gruesome details of their recent heart attack or proctology exam, never seem willing to talk about their tooth grinding tendencies. It’s an enigma; everyone tends to think they are the only ones experiencing these issues.
Stress and restless sleep seem to be aggravating circumstances.
We believe stress is a huge factor with this particular issue. Anything that has you sleeping restlessly, tends to excite the habit. It might be breathing issues as a result from a cold, or the neighbor’s dog up barking late or early, or perhaps a newborn in the home. Sometimes, we simply can’t shut the thinker down for rest. We observe an up-tic in the evidence of tooth destruction associated with disrupted sleeping. Since the introduction of the COVID virus, we’ve noticed an extreme uptick in vicious grinding. There are also minor and major bite irregularities that cause people to clamp their teeth. So, what can you do?
Here’s what you can do to intercept or alleviate grinding and clenching. Wear a night guard.
For some, wearing just about anything between their teeth at night may disrupt the undesirable habit. These are the lucky ones! They might wear any of a hundred over-the-counter dental guards and have great improvement with their habits. Others tend to gnash extreme force through just about any guard we could think of. Some of these patients end up so miserable we simply can’t help them fast enough. Our custom-made dental guards do a better job of intercepting or eliminating grinding and clenching than anything you can get in the toothbrush section, but custom guards come at a significantly higher cost. Please realize, if you are lucky enough to find an OTC solution that works, you may not need to spend your money on a custom nightguard.
The most affordable OTC guard we’ve found is called “Plackers’ Grind No More”. The most effective of the custom guards, in my opinion, is the NTI appliance, and must be fabricated by a dentist. These are even being promoted as effective for curbing migraines. Take the National Dentex Labs (NDX) a headache questionnaire to see if this might be a benefit for you.
What do I do if I suspect I’m grinding or clenching my teeth but aren’t sure?
Grinding and clenching symptoms mimic a lot of other dental problems, and can be a tough thing to diagnose. It always seems self-serving to say, but if you are having tooth pain that is “here one day, gone the next”, you may be best served by an exam with your dentist. Other dental problems tend not to come and go. If you wake up with headaches or jaw fatigue, you are likely punishing your teeth at night. If you have an upper and lower tooth start hurting at the same time, you are likely working your jaws overtime.
If you’re concerned you may be grinding or clenching, call and come in to the office. Let us help you sort it out. The symptoms can be miserable so please, don’t wait for it to get worse. Whether you’re a current patient or new to Spring Valley Dental Group, our intentions are to get you set up with a night guard so you can save your teeth.
Offer for current patients of record - $250 off the standard fee for a custom night guard
As my patients can attest, dental care, education and prevention (served up with a generous helping of common sense) is my/our mission here at Spring Valley Dental Group. The stress of the shutdown has taken its toll on us all and my partners and I would like to make obtaining a custom night guard affordable for everyone. For a limited time beginning October 1, 2020, Spring Valley Dental Group will discount the price of custom night guards $250 less than the standard fee. If you have an active account, we will waive the dental exam cost and get to work making your custom night guard as soon as we have impressions.
New to Spring Valley Dental Group offer - $250 off the standard fee for a custom night guard and $59 for a limited dental exam to prep for the night guard only.
New to SVDG patients are welcome and encouraged to take us up on the $250 discount for a custom night guard! Because it’s foolish to work on patients without an exam, an additional charge of $59 for a limited dental exam will be charged to patients we have not seen before. We simply can’t run the risk of building your custom guard over the top of a dental problem.
I don’t have dental insurance; how can I get a night guard?
Patients with or without dental insurance, and members of our SVDG Membership plan can all take advantage of this offer. Because insurance plans and coverage vary from plan to plan, please call our office and talk to Sheri, Amanda or Lindsey. They are prepared to answer your questions, get you set up for an appointment and placed firmly on the road to loving your custom night guard.
What if the dental exam reveals conditions that won’t allow a night guard to be made?
If, for some reason, we are unable to provide an adequate night guard based on an oral condition, SVDG will not charge for the exam. If you’d like to make SVDG your dental home, then we would be honored to help you return your teeth and mouth to optimal health.
Reducing the price of a custom night guard to this degree insures this promotion is not a money-making endeavor. Our aim is to serve our community by relieving a problem we see trending. We want to prevent the grinding and clenching that’s causing you pain, headaches and teeth to be worn down. Replacing or repairing your pearly whites is costly and for some, we may not be catching the grinding or clenching in time to benefit from the night guard. Truth is not always easy to hear, but in a dental office ignoring truth isn’t an option.
Now you’ve read about the offer. All of us at SVDG truly hope you take us up on it. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in our chair soon.
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