Tag Archives: night guard

Top 5 Children Habits You Need to Know About (Part 2)

4. Bruxism

Bruxism or Grinding can be very harmful to your kids

It is a habitual grinding of teeth when the child is not chewing or swallowing. It is divided into Daytime Bruxism (Diurnal) or Night -time Bruxism (Nocturnal). Daytime Bruxism can be conscious or subsconscious grinding along with parafunctional habits and it is usually silent. On the other hand, Night-time Bruxism is categorized as subconscious grinding in a rhythmic pattern. Bruxism happens as a result of faulty fillings, improper teeth occlusion, genetic causes, neurological disturbances, occupational factors, over anxious or stressed children.

 

 

What do you notice?

From the tooth surfaces, you will observe your child’s teeth are very much worn off. This feature is called atypical wear facet, whereby the worn area are shiny, uneven with sharp edges on the upper and lower front teeth. Fillings may fracture or tooth may chip off as a result of grinding. Teeth will become mobile and very sensitive to cold and hot food. Besides that, your child may complain of muscular tenderness and fatigue around the cheek on rising in the morning. Jaw movements restricted and difficult in opening mouth for a long time.

    

Shiny, uneven sharp edges of wear facets. Credits to shingletonsmiles.com

 

Continue reading →

How to stop snoring using a mandibular advancement splints

Snoring can be a very serious problem

Snoring is a common issue that plagues most household and can cause a string of other problems. It not only affects the sleep, hence the health of the bed partner, it is also an indication of poor health of the affected individual. Snoring is usually a sign of some form of obstruction in the airways leading to aspiration of air predominantly through the oral cavity. Hence individuals who snore are usually mouth breathers and can wake up in the morning with extremely dry mouth and halitosis or bad breath.

What is snoring related to?

Snoring can be an indication of a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where the affected individual can have significant narrowing of the airways leading to difficulty breathing. It is typically characterized with frequent pauses in breathing and the duration of each pause ranges from seconds to minutes. The frequency and duration is important in terms of determining the severity of condition as the more frequent and longer the duration of each pause, the more severe it is. Continue reading →