Do you suffer from jaw pain due to jaw clenching? We know the feeling all too well.
You’re in pain and it feels like there is no solution in sight! You’re not alone. The rise of
jaw pain has been considered a growing issue in the UK and is believed that around six
million adults in the country are affected by it! That is a staggering number.
Jaw clenching is a condition characterised by the tightening of the jaw muscles, which
can cause pain and discomfort in the jaw joint, face, and neck. People can clench their
jaw for numerous reasons, such as stress or anxiety, tension in the muscles of the jaw
or teeth grinding – otherwise known as bruxism. It is important to identify the cause of
your jaw clenching in order to properly treat the issue as it can lead to complications
such as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). So, what are your options? Your mind
probably jumped straight to wearing a mouthguard at night while you sleep, but here’s
why that might not be the best idea. Let’s look at the pros and cons.
A mouth guard can be used by anyone who could benefit from extra protection for their
teeth and/or mouth. This includes athletes who play contact sports such as hockey,
lacrosse, and boxing. But we’d say that that is where the list of people who benefit from
them ends and should not be considered as treatment for those experiencing jaw
clenching at night.
Wearing a mouth guard can have a few drawbacks. One potential issue is that it can
make breathing more difficult, particularly during exercise or physical activity.
Additionally, it can cause some initial discomfort or soreness in the mouth until you
become accustomed to wearing it. Some people may find that their speech is slightly
affected by wearing a mouth guard. Lastly, and you’ll never believe this, wearing a
mouthguard can actually make your jaw clenching WORSE!
3 ways that mouthguards make your jaw clenching worse:
1) Night guards are not designed to address the root cause of temporomandibular
joint disorder (TMJ) pain. They merely protect teeth from the wear caused by
chronic tooth clenching and grinding.
2) Mouthguards have a design that makes the teeth that are on the anterior portion
of the device touch the plastic part of the device instead of the teeth making
direct contact. This causes unevenness in the jaw and can lead to even more
clenching and grinding.
3) One of the biggest problems with wearing a mouthguard is that many people buy
them mass produced and think that they are one-size-fits-all products. This is
simply not true, as the mouth arches and teeth sizes can vary so much that it is
impossible for one to fit all. As such, wearing a poorly-fitting mouthguard can
worsen jaw clenching and pain.
How can Oralift help you?
Oralift tackles jaw clenching at the source rather than tackling the symptoms
alone. Oralift takes advantage of the ability of the facial muscles to adapt. This
concept is well proven in orthodontics. Facial muscles are unique and not like
any other muscle in the body and can adapt instantaneously! What is this
process of adaptation? The process of adaptation involves a metabolic or
physiologic adjustment within the cell or tissues of an organism in response to an
environmental stimulus resulting in the improved ability of that organism to cope
with its changing environment.
No Chemicals. No Pain. No Surgery.
Get in touch today and say goodbye to jaw pain for good!