Wisdom teeth getting in the way?
Jaw discomfort
bothering
you?
You’ll be surprised how we can help.
Wisdom teeth come in all forms, shapes, and sizes. You can have more or less than four, and their position is highly variable. In short, they are as individual as you. But unfortunately, they are often the cause of dental problems and discomfort.
Here are some common problems they can cause:
Not enough room to grow
Recurring infections
Jaw discomfort and teeth grinding
Decay due to their awkward position
Damage to neighbouring teeth
Cysts and other tissue-related issues
At Better Dental we provide a comprehensive assessment of your wisdom teeth. We take a low dose special x-ray that shows your wisdom teeth in great detail and we discuss with you if they need to be removed, why, and how. We are keen to save teeth, and in many cases, we can monitor and keep wisdom teeth. If a removal becomes necessary, many procedures can be performed in our dental practice and for more complex removals we have our dedicated specialist at hand to assist us.
This is a common issue and it may surprise you how much can be done to relieve your jaw discomfort. There are a variety of causes and contributing factors. You may notice stiff muscles in the morning, or in the evening, or on moving the jaw. Opening the mouth wide can be painful or impossible. There may be permanent discomfort, or it could come and go. Whatever your symptoms are, we can help.
To assess your jaw discomfort, our dentists will:
Thoroughly review the history of your jaw ache and any relevant factors
Examine your jaw and neck muscles
Assess the anatomy and mechanics of your jaw, both with and without movement
Check the alignment of your teeth and jaws
Determine whether there are any signs of tooth grinding
Check your lymph nodes for any abnormalities
We will devise a treatment plan that will address the underlying causes, which will not only relieve the discomfort in the short-term, but also help ensure that it does not return in the future.
Grinding and jaw clenching are very common, and many people are not aware they are doing it. If undetected and not adequately treated, this can lead to significant dental problems due to tooth wear. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people grind their teeth to such an extent that it can cause significant and permanent damage not only to their teeth, but also to their facial structure.
Typical problems caused by grinding include:
Muscular pain around the face and neck
Headaches and earaches
Split or broken teeth and damaged dental restorations
Shortened teeth, which make young people look older
Reduced face height and overdeveloped jaw muscles
Squaring off of the face
We will devise a treatment plan that will address the underlying causes, which will not only relieve the discomfort in the short-term, but also help ensure that it does not return in the future.
To address the problems of grinding, we offer:
Preventative therapies to avoid further damage
Reconstructive therapies to rebuild lost tooth structure
Teaching biofeedback and jaw relaxation techniques for self-management
Botox injections to relax the affected and contributing facial muscles
Review medications and other issues that may cause grinding and clenching
Liaise with allied health professionals or your GP
At Better Dental, our skilled dentists screen you for grinding and clenching disorders and advise you what can be done to not only minimise the damage but also reverse it and investigate the underlying causes.
Let us help answer the most common questions you might have.
They typically erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. However, this can happen many years later — they have a mind of their own.
The term is interchangeable, but devices come in many different types and qualities. All our occlusal splints are made individually for you here in Adelaide with the highest quality materials. Our dentists discuss the pros and cons of suitable devices and adjust and check them to ensure they work correctly and feel comfortable. Many of our patients cannot sleep without them!
Yes, completely!
A mouth guard is a sports injury prevention device. It’s rather thick and rubbery and there to protect your teeth from a heavy knock (high impact). We custom make them for you, so give us a call!
Our night guards are very low profile, thin, and much harder, as they have to withstand different forces (very strong but low impact). If you think you might need a night guard due to grinding or clenching, give us a call!
That depends on the amount of wear they get, and the type of guard. Our guards typically last for many years.
Our dentists will extract any misbehaving "wise guys".
And they will relieve any jaw discomfort too!
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