The Best Mouth Guard Types for TMJ
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the second most common reason (following dental pain) that orofacial pain is triggered. This impacts a significant percentage of the United States population, and yet a lack of education for people suffering from TMJ exists.
What’s the best mouth guard for TMJ pain is a commonly asked question. It deserves more straightforward answers.
Jaw pain patients often report finding it confusing to sort through the varied terminology and types of oral appliances on their own. This article can help to develop a basic understanding of the purpose of six different types of oral appliances.
Jaw pain disordersimpact between 5% and 12% of all people and present with symptoms such as headache, bruxism, pain at the temporomandibular joint, jaw popping or clicking, neck pain, dizziness, decreased hearing, and hypersensitivity to noise, according to the Association of American Family of Physicians.
There are many ways of managing TMD (such as pharmacological, psychological,physiotherapy, and even surgical interventions); however,dentists that prefer conservative methods like to firstmanage symptomatic TMD by using temporary oral splints.
For a basic explanation, oral splints are used to help manage tooth wear caused by bruxism or jaw issues. These may include nocturnal clenching, jaw sprain, jaw muscle spasms, trauma, infection (e.g., an abscess), dental disorders (e.g., caries), and any trauma to the head (e.g., sports concussion).
Regardless of its cause, Bruxism is widely recognized as the repetitivejaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or bracing or thrusting ofthe muscles of mastication. Bruxism has two distinct manifestations: it may occur during sleep (indicatedas sleep bruxism) or when a person is awake (indicated as awake bruxism).
Who is the Most Qualified Medical Trained Professional to Select the Right Mouth Guard?
Since the severity of TMJ and TMD symptoms and the frequency of grinding vary, it created theneed to be individually assessed.An Orofacial Pain Specialistis the best-qualified person. With so many mouth guard options on the market, they are trained to identify the most appropriate TMJ mouthguard type for each person’s needs.
Six Common Mouth Guard Types
1. Anterior Bit Plane Splint
The anterior bite plane splint (also known as an “ABP splint” or “anterior deprogrammer”) is not meant to cover the back molars. Instead, it is designed to keep the back teeth out of “occlusion”, meaning that they can’t come together.
ABP splints are intentionally crafted to be rigid on one side. The stable and hard surface of an ABP works as an efficient “hard stop” for teeth and stimulates reflex relaxation. It works similarly to how a person’s jaw naturally halts when biting on something hard.
This splint’s rigidity is a strategic factor because if the mouthguard is even slightly flexible, a person’s jaw will tend to chew on it (known as parafunctional behavior). In fact, if the mouthguard is made of boil-and-bite material that is chewy, it may actually trigger more jaw clenching versus decreasing it.
People may purchase them as a temporary self-directed intervention,such as the QuickSplintAnterior Bit Plane. They are effective for acute jaw injuries, face pain, and headaches.
2. Orthotic Appliance Crafted for a TMJ Disorder
This oral appliance type is typically custom-built at a dental lab, and they are typically reimbursed by healthcare insurance. This provision is often vital to the pain patient. The dentist or pain provider monitors and adjusts the oral appliance over the span of several office visits.
A TMJ orthotic appliance is crafted for the purpose of correcting the lower jaw’s position. Also known as a bite splint, this acrylic device intends to help relax and balance the jaw joints and muscles. It assists in muscle alignment in an individual’s skeletal systems located at the head, jaw, neck, and shoulders.
Changes in the patient’s joint anatomy and musculature may mean trying another mouth guard type or treatment.
3. Orthodontic Retainers
This type of mouth guard is also custom fabricated to safeguard the alignment of a person’s teeth after an orthodontic treatment plan is completed. In the context of this article, orthodontic mouth guards, which are removable clear aligners, are intended to move teeth. Therefore, they serve a different purpose than assisting with TMJ pain.
People who suffer from jaw pain while using mail-order clear retainers without proper oversight of a dental or pain professional could be harming their oral health! They may either be ill-fitting or moving your teeth inappropriately, which could lead to bite misalignment.
4. Nightguard for Bruxism
This type includes Nightguards that are crafted specifically to protect dental enamel from harm caused by teeth clenching or grinding while a person sleeps. They are only worn at night and are commonly used for mild, moderate, and even tried severe TMJ issues.
They are plastic and fit over the teeth.
5. Sports Mouth Guards
These mouth guards shield the teeth from an injury incident during high-impact sports events. Examples include an impact mouth guard, Shock Doctor Pro Mouth Guard, gumshield, mouth protector, 3MM Football Mouthguard, and battle mouth guards.
For example, football quarterbacks want to communicate still and yell out audible signals from behind the center to other team players. Often players want a mouthguard that is able to withstand hard knocks and either stretches or bends back into its original shape.
6. Boil and Bite Mouth Protectors
These are readily found for sale at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than standard stock mouth protectors. The “boil and bite” mouth guards are constructed from thermoplastic material. It is soaked in hot water to soften, next placed in the mouth, and then shaped around a person’s teeth using finger and tongue pressure.
Like some of the other above types, it offers a semi-custom fit and generally costs less than custom options. For example, Oral-B is a familiar brand and runs around $20. Lacking a tailored fit, Wearers often report incredible discomfort when wearing them and, in some cases, discontinue wearing them entirely.
There have been many comparative studies of the various types of mouth guards and mouthguard materials. However, typical tests on the material do not really reveal the ideal properties being sought in a mouthguard material.
“Orofacial injuries are a class of trauma that includes tooth fracture, laceration or luxation of soft tissues (tongue and gums), facial bone traumas, and damage to the temporomandibular joint. It is estimated that a quarter of the US population aged 5–60 years suffers from a particular dental trauma throughout their life. Unfortunately, in some cases, the treatment for such conditions is quite expensive or can lead to permanent damage,” according to the National Institute of Health’s Present Status in Polymeric Mouthguards article.
Conclusion
Once you understand the objectives of each type of mouth guard, it is best to thoroughly consider your pain specialist or dentist’s recommendation.
They will consider what caused your TMJ, your level of pain, any occlusal and craniomandibular relationships, and what is the best mouth guard type for you. Don’t delay getting help.
