Biteguard

What is it?
A biteguard is a plastic shield that covers one arch of the teeth. There are two main purposes of a biteguard. One is to protect the teeth from the damaging effects of clenching and grinding. The other is to relax the jaw muscles.

Whom do they benefit?
Biteguards are beneficial to many people, both preventively, and therapeutically. Preventively, biteguards protect teeth and restorations from the damaging effects of clenching and grinding. Also, biteguards act like retainers, preventing the teeth from shifting. In addition, biteguards bring temporary stability to patients undergoing comprehensive restoration of their teeth, allowing this treatment to be well planned and paced safely over time. Therapeutically, biteguards relax the jaw muscles. This results in more comfortable jaw muscles and reduced clenching and grinding stress. Also, biteguards provide an even bite on the acrylic, allowing us to test the benefits of bite correction on the biteguard before improvements are made to teeth.

How are they made?
Biteguards are specially made for each person’s individual mouth by making molds of your teeth. The molds are used to fabricate plaster models of your teeth. These plaster models are attached to a machine that very accurately replicates how your jaws work together. The biteguard is made on this machine so that it fits your teeth just right and works in harmony with your jaw system.