Bite Checks at Ardas Family Dental

Family dentists are entrusted with great responsibility for ensuring children’s health as they grow. Among those responsibilities is checking a child’s bite at each visit. But children aren’t the only people who can have issues with tooth or jaw misalignment. Jumbled teeth can be harder to clean, harder to chew with, and contribute to problems in the rest of the head and neck. If there’s a problem with your dental alignment, the first step toward fixing it is getting a bite check.

X-rays will help us to notice some issues with misalignment, but they aren’t the whole bite check. During that, we’ll ask patients to demonstrate closing their teeth together. If aligned properly, the top front teeth will rest outside the bottom ones, and the outer halves of the top ones will hang outside the bottom teeth’s outer halves. But none of the teeth should be tilting, and a bottom back tooth shouldn’t be completely inside the top arch. When a patient presses their teeth together, we’ll feel their temporomandibular joints, which is where their lower jaws connect to their skulls, to determine if anything is swollen or having difficulty moving.

If a person is having trouble biting down, they may feel soreness in their temporomandibular joints. The soreness could radiate outwards and cause swelling that would make it harder for them to fully open their mouths. Pressure from an uneven bite could also push teeth further out of place or cause them to break apart. This is especially concerning for dentures or crowns supported by implants, since implants have to be removed if they break and dentures are fragile. However, patients can learn to loosen their temporomandibular joints through stretching exercises, and we can refer patients for orthodontic work and denture repair. We can also reconstruct teeth once they’re no longer in danger from excessive pressure and help clean them while they realign.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Night Guards

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is when a patient grinds their teeth. This destroys the enamel of the teeth, exposing the dentin. This can lead to teeth sensitivity, and open the gateway for bacteria. The majority of patients who experience bruxism have it happen while they're sleeping. At Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO., Dr. Kattaura offers the solution in the form of night guards.

 

Grinding your teeth can lead to permanent enamel damage, jaw pain, and irritated gums. The night guard can prevent all that. Night guards are very similar to the mouth guards worn by athletes. These removable, clear devices are inserted into your mouth and over your top teeth. It works as a barrier between the top and bottom teeth, preventing them from grinding together.

 

Night guards are custom made and properly fitted to your teeth and your teeth only. At your appointment with Dr. Kattaura, an impression of your teeth will be made. This impression will be sent to a dental laboratory to be constructed. Once you receive your night guard, it can be used for up to ten years.

 

There are other things that can be done to help prevent teeth grinding. Try to refrain from chewing gum or other objects like pens. Alcoholic drinks and caffeine also increase the likelihood of grinding.

 

If you suspect you may be grinding your teeth at night, don’t wait to contact Ardas Family Dental. Our office is located in Parker, CO. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kattaura, visit our website or call 720-459-8420.

 

How Night Guards Can Help You

Grinding your teeth can wear down enamel and cause jaw pain. Unfortunately, many people who grind their teeth do not know they do it because it happens while they are sleeping. Here at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, we can diagnose night grinding and offer patients a night guard to protect their teeth from further damage.

Night grinding can create painful and sensitive teeth, jaw pain, facial pain, and even tooth damage. Because the enamel is worn down, it can make teeth prone to cavities. Night grinding may also lead to TMJ dysfunction.

To protect the teeth from damage and to cushion the jaw and facial structures, we can provide our patients with a night guard. A night guard is a mouthpiece worn while you sleep. It creates a barrier between the top and bottom teeth; creating a protective cushion. For night grinders, a night guard is essential to maintain oral health and relieve pain.

If you have been told you grind your teeth or if you are waking up with a sore jaw, night guards may be what you need to protect your teeth. To schedule an appointment at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, call us at (720) 459-8420 or visit, Family Dentist Parker, CO.