Oral Appliances Archives - Donald R. Tanenbaum DDS

During this time of year it is common for my practice to see many patients who experience symptoms of TMJ from scuba diving or snorkeling. In fact, it has been reported that between 15%-20% of the people who scuba dive or snorkel have some level of jaw problem.

To find out why, you first must understand the temporomandibular joints (TM’s) and how they function. Your TMJs are the hinges that connect your upper jaw to your lower jaw. They enable you to open and close your mouth in a smooth, unrestricted way. When functioning properly, your TMJ’s allow you to chew, talk, and yawn in comfort.

But because the TMJ’s are moved by muscles and stabilized by ligaments, any problem with those muscles and ligaments will have a negative effect on the function of your jaw and your comfort. People whose TMJs are overworked may experience pain, limited jaw opening, joint noises and sometimes even a change in the way their teeth come together. The symptoms are very similar to an overworked knee.

TMJ From Scuba Diving Or Snorkeling Is Very Common. Here’s Why:

Whether you scuba dive or snorkel, your lower jaw must come forward to secure your breathing mouthpiece in place. It’s a very awkward position and when held for a long period of time, it fatigues your muscles and strains your ligaments. The result can be soreness, pain and limited jaw function.

New divers are at the greatest risk for TMJ from scuba diving or snorkeling. The novice has a tendency to fiercely grip down on the mouthpiece for fear of it slipping out of place. This forceful clenching can set jaw problems into motion. And a poorly fitted mouthpiece is often a culprit, too.

Prevention & Treatment of TMJ from Scuba Diving Or Snorkeling

If you are a new or inexperienced diver here’s some advice: try to maintain a loose grip on your mouthpiece and always make sure it fits properly. (If you suspect it doesn’t…don’t use it! Trade it in ASAP.) If mild symptoms start to occur, don’t dive for a day or two. Try anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil or Aleve, if tolerated. And ice packs on painful areas for seven minutes several times a day can also help.

If experience severe symptoms and just a day or two off from diving doesn’t improve your condition, you should see a dentist who focuses on temporomandibular disorder. TMJ is the result of tired, tight, injured or sore muscles, inflamed tendons, or compromised ligaments, bone and cartilage. As a result, TMJ treatment is similar to what is offered by an orthopedist when managing a knee problem.

Here are some of the ways we treat patients with TMJ from scuba diving or snorkeling at my practice:

Limiting the overuse of the jaw by dietary restrictions
Identifying strategies to reduce daytime habits that may prevent healing such as clenching, nail and cuticle biting, gum chewing
Medications to reduce inflammation and muscle tension
Supporting the injured joints or muscles with an oral appliance
Home jaw exercises and self massage of jaw muscles
Physical therapy if needed
Trigger point injections for pain and tension in the jaw muscles

It’s best to avoid TMJ from scuba diving or snorkeling by taking precautions such as loosening the grip on your mouthpiece and making sure it fits properly. Stop your diving activities if symptoms start and seek care to assure healing. The vast majority of our patients do heal and happily resume their diving activities after several months.

3 Reasons Why TMJ Problems Get Worse During Pregnancy

February 2, 2016 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

I have a very unique dental practice in that most of the people who pass through my door have TMJ problems, and 80% of them are women. The reasons that women are more prone to TMJ problems are very complex (a subject that I cover elsewhere in my website). Happily, I can report that after a treatment period of approximately three to four months, most of my female patients experience diminished and sometimes even the complete elimination of their symptoms. It is not unusual, however, for some women that were symptom-free for a long period of time to find their way back to my office when they’re expecting a baby. That’s because TMJ problems get worse during pregnancy.

Why do TMJ problems get worse during pregnancy? There are 3 main reasons:

Sleep Disruption
Most women discover pretty early on in pregnancy that their favorite position is no longer comfortable. In many cases, she can’t even find one sleep position that’s comfortable. Add to being uncomfortable, the frequent need to get up to urinate during the night and you have a situation that wreaks havoc on the sleep cycle. Disrupted sleep and brain arousals during the night seem to increase the likelihood of tooth grinding and clenching. Therefore, the pregnant woman that experienced jaw problems in the past is certainly now at risk again. The result is the typical list of TMJ problems: pain, jaw stiffness, morning headaches and jaw clicking and/or locking.
Morning Sickness
For many women unrelenting nausea and frequent vomiting characterize the early stages of pregnancy. Vomiting itself puts extreme pressure on the shoulder and neck muscles and causes the jaw to be violently thrust forward. Frequent vomiting can cause the jaw ligaments to be sprained and the jaw muscles to be strained. A traumatized jaw joint can be painful, stiff, and mechanically challenged. Although morning sickness usually lasts only a short time, that can be just long enough for TMJ problems to start or to reoccur.
The Relaxin Hormone
Relaxin is a very helpful hormone. It helps ligaments in the pelvis stretchier to accommodate the delivery of a baby. The ligaments become more “lax”. During the later stages of pregnancy relaxin becomes more and more elevated in the bloodstream. While relaxin’s main job is to prepare the pelvis, it also can make the ligaments in other parts of the body more elastic, including the jaw.Here’s a frightening scenario that is experience by many pregnant women:A visit to the dentist for a routine cleaning becomes a nightmare when her jaw gets stuck in the open position. Hello relaxin! Relaxin has made the jaw ligaments unstable and allowed the joint to open wider than normal. Sometimes assistance is even needed to get the jaw closed and that can result in pain and soreness for days, or even weeks. The fear of this scary event happening again is very stressful. (In these cases I teach some simple exercises that are very helpful.)

If you’re pregnant, have had TMJ problems in the past, and suspect that they are beginning to resurface, see your dentist before it gets worse. A custom-fitted night guard, a routine of jaw exercises, and some general relaxation techniques may just be what you need to relieve the symptoms and allow you enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

If you are experiencing postpartum TMJ problems, please link to Postpartum TMJ Pain – What Causes It & How To Get Relief.

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Dr. Donald Tanenbaum is a specialist with offices in New York City and Long Island, NY. He is uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat problems associated with TMJ, jaw problems, bruxism, and more.

Why It’s A Bad Idea To Use Whitening Trays For Bruxism

January 26, 2016 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

I recently came across an online press release with this compelling title: Teeth Whitening Trays From ProDental Functions As A Night Guard Against Teeth Grinding. The press release goes on to state: “These teeth whitening trays help to stop the condition of teeth grinding which happens drastically at night when persons sleep.” In my 30+ years in practice I’ve treated thousands of people who suffer from the effects of teeth grinding. And I will tell you right now: it is a very bad idea to use whitening trays for bruxism.

Teeth grinding and clenching (clinically known as sleep bruxism) are caused by brain arousal during sleep. What causes the brain to become aroused? There is no easy answer. It could be any number of things: daily stress, a crying baby, chronic pain, breathing problems, too much light, a snoring bed partner…and the list goes on.

Medical practitioners face a big challenge when attempting to identify the exact cause of nighttime brain arousal. In my practice, the goal is to reduce, or even stop, nightly grinding. But that can happen only once the exact cause has been identified. This takes time and determination.

In the interim, most of my patients wear custom-fitted bruxism devices (also called oral appliances) at night. These bruxism devices protect teeth from the destructive impact of constant grinding and clenching. They diminish the loading forces placed on the jaw joints and diminish the contracture force of the jaw muscles.

However, bruxism appliances must be custom-fitted to do their job!

If you’re considering the use of whitening trays to treat your teeth grinding, as the above press release suggests, please beware. You may actually make your condition worse. Here’s why:

3 Reasons Why It’s A Bad Idea To Use Whitening Trays For Bruxism

1. Whitening Trays Are Too Loose

Whitening trays will rarely fit your teeth perfectly. In fact, they are designed to fit somewhat loose and because of that fact, they flop around in your mouth. You must clench your teeth to keep them in place. And the last thing you need is more teeth clenching.

2. Whitening Trays Are Too Short

Whitening trays that are designed for mass utilization will never extend all the way back to your rear teeth. As a result, when you clench or grind your teeth with one of these trays in place, all the force is shifted forward. Though it sounds like a good idea to prevent the back teeth from being engaged when clenching and grinding, this pattern of contact actually puts more pressure on your TM joints. Over time this can cause additional jaw stiffness, pain and even joint clicking and locking (which may not have been present before starting to wear the trays). And not only that; trays which do not cover rear teeth may cause your bite to change over time, adding another difficult problem to fix.

3. Whitening Trays Are Too Soft

Whitening trays are made of a soft, pliable material which makes them encourage more grinding and clenching. Patients call them “chew toys” when describing how they feel. In addition, because these soft trays don’t hold your teeth in place they can cause spaces to develop in between your back teeth. If this happens to you, you’ll forever be fishing food out from between your teeth with your tongue, further aggravating your jaw.

The Takeaway:

If you wake up in the morning with jaw pain, muscle stiffness, jaw clicking or locking, or sore teeth, you likely have sleep bruxism. You may be tempted to try the teeth whitening tray solution. After all, it seems to be adequate and inexpensive. But that decision will most likely lead to more problems with your teeth and jaw.

Please, take my advice: don’t be the victim of a phony pitch that can come back to bite you with a hefty dental bill later. Seek help by an experienced practitioner.

To find a dentist in your area that concentrates on sleep bruxism problems, visit The American Academy of Orofacial Pain at http://www.aaop.org/.

Biteplates Need To Be Monitored

June 18, 2013 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

Thousands of people every year are prescribed biteplates by their dentists. There are two common scenarios that prompt a dentist to make this recommendation.

Scenario 1: Tooth Grinding

You went to your dentist for a routine appointment and you were told that there is evidence that you are grinding your teeth at night (sleep bruxism). Your dentist may in fact show you areas of tooth wear on your teeth. You have no jaw or tooth pain, which is good, but a biteplate is made to protect your teeth at night while you sleep. This biteplates may be made of hard acrylic, dual laminate materials with a soft inside and hard outer shell, or may be totally soft and pliable.

Since you have no symptoms of jaw or tooth pain, there is no need to do anything else. Your dentist should ask you to bring it with you when you go in for a routine tooth cleaning appointment. Overtime it may have to be remade due to wear and tear, or adjusted if new dental restorations have been placed.

Scenario 2: Jaw Pain, Stiffness, and more…

You are experiencing pain/tightness/stiffness in the jaw muscles, pain in the Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ’s), or clicking that is new or getting worse. Your symptoms may be worse in the morning as many people often wake up with symptoms of jaw pain, diminished jaw motion, and even a jaw that feels locked and out of place. Your dentist will in this situation commonly make a biteplate that can be modified over time as your symptoms change. It may have a flat biting surface or inclines to address your specific problem.

These adjustable biteplates need to be monitored as your condition improves, or if it is not helping to reduce symptoms. Just like an orthopedic splint for the knee, problems, modifications, or changes are required overtime as the situation dictates.

If your jaw problem was due to a specific trauma or injury (sports related/eating/accidental) which lead to a joint sprain, muscle strain, or joint inflammation, as healing occurs you will likely wear the appliance less until you don’t need it at all.

However, if your jaw pain, locked jaw, decreased motion, sore teeth, or headaches resulted from persistent and aggressive sleep bruxism , then long term use of the biteplate may be required. Periodic visits to the dentist will be required to determine when, and if the biteplate use can be reduced or eliminated. Regardless of the reasons that you needed a biteplate to begin with, please make sure your dentist monitors its use at least once a year.

Learn more about biteplates and oral appliances.

Dr. Donald Tanenbaum is a specialist with offices in New York City and Long Island, NY. He is uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat facial pain associated with jaw problems, TMJ, referred pain, nerve pain, and migraines. Find out more at www.tanenbaumtmj.com.

Who is Monitoring Your Snoring or Sleep Apnea Appliance?

April 30, 2013 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

Based on the number of emails I weekly receive advertising courses for dentists to learn how to make and provide oral appliances for snoring and sleep apnea I can only assume that an increasing number of adults are receiving these devices. Though these devices can provide great benefit socially (allowing bed partners to sleep in the same room) and medically by reducing the risk of heart related problems, once inserted these devices must be monitored.

Why You Should Always Monitor Oral Appliances

Is the oral appliance doing what it is intended to do? For the simple snoring patient the answer is easy. For the apnea patient, the answer is a guess unless a follow up sleep study (home test or laboratory) is done. Just the cessation or reduction of snoring may not mean that the apnea condition has been adequately addressed. The dentist who puts in the device must direct the follow up process.
These appliances can cause tooth shift, opening spaces between teeth leading to food traps, and lead to movement of front teeth that were straightened with braces. These problems can be eliminated or minimized with follow-up visits.
In approximately 15 percent of patients that wear these appliances over one year, there is a good chance that a bite change will occur not allowing the back teeth to hit as they once did. Heavy contacts are put on the front teeth with likely consequences such as chipping and reduced mobility. Follow-up visits can not only prevent this from happening but if noticed, modifications can be made with regard to how often the appliance is worn and where the position is set.
In some people these appliances can lead to jaw problems such as muscle or joint pain, joint noises, and even limitations in jaw motion and functional abilities. Since the jaw is an orthopedic system, healing will then be dependent on making appropriate changes, which can only be determined by follow-up visits.

The Take Home Message About Monitoring Oral Appliances

If your dentist is not insisting on follow-up visits, speak up and get back on his or her schedule. Also, these appliances do not last forever! Replacement is usually necessary after 3 -5 years based on normal wear and tear.

Can Mouth Guards Cure TMJ?

October 4, 2012 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

Patients will often come to me suffering from symptoms of TMJ and looking for solutions that don’t involve medication or surgery. Symptoms such as facial pain, headaches in the temples, inability to open to the mouth widely, sensitive teeth, or aching and throbbing jaw muscles can be unbearable. There are numerous remedies, for jaw related symptoms that include massages, home exercises, physical therapy, modified diets, and changes in daytime behaviors/postures. At times an oral appliance is an important part of care. These devices are commonly used for the treatment of TMJ problems and can be used in a number of different ways.

What is an oral appliance?

An oral appliance is a device that fits over your teeth with the intent of reducing tooth wear, tooth mobility, tooth sensitivity, muscle pain and soreness and joint pain and instability. At times but not frequently these devices are designed to “align the jaw.” They can also be used to discourage some of the daytime behaviors many patients don’t realize they’re doing, such as resting their teeth together, clenching their teeth, or biting their nails or cuticles. These appliances can be worn at night and/or during the day

In general the intent of these appliances is based on the problems experienced by patients.

Night guards: Most commonly these appliances are chosen by dentists to address tooth wear, soreness, and mobility that occur as a result of night clenching or grinding of the teeth. Many patients that develop tooth wear do not even realize that they have a problem and often deny grinding their teeth at night. These devices when used in patients without active symptoms (just wear of the teeth) don’t require much adjustment and should be brought by the patient when they return to the dentist for tooth cleaning visits. Typically these devices are custom fit so that they are retentive, not too thick, and modifiable over time. Over the counter devices sold in pharmacies and online are for the most part inadequate, as they are often too thick, poorly retentive, and inadequately cover all of the teeth. As a result these devices can often prompt more clenching, and/or allow tooth shift.

Night appliances to address TMJ problems: Based on the specific jaw problem that is diagnosed (muscle soreness, morning temporal headaches, limited jaw opening in the morning…etc) oral appliances at night are designed to reduce overuse and loading forces to the TM Joints and jaw muscles. The biting surface of the appliance is therefore designed and modified to most efficiently address the problems at hand. Most commonly the biting surfaces are flat but, at times, inclines and ramps are used to confront unstable joint ligaments and displaced discs. When used in patients with active symptoms, these appliances require frequent modifications requiring patient follow-up visits.

Day appliances to address TMJ Problems: At times there is necessity to have a patient wear an appliance during the day. For the most part these appliances are needed when there is extreme instability in a TM joint that has led to clicking, locking, and pain problems. These appliances are not worn all day and virtually never during chewing. At other times, oral appliances worn during the day hours can be used to get in the way of day behaviors and/or remind patients that during the day the jaw should be hanging in a rest position with the teeth apart.

How about oral appliances to re-align the jaw? This concept of jaw re-alignment to address a TMJ problem remains controversial. To date there is no science to support the concept that a poor bite or mal-aligned jaw is responsible for the emergence of TMJ symptoms. At most a bad bite or mal-aligned jaw may be a risk factor but with no more weight than other risk factors such as; female gender, gum chewing, clenching, night grinding, or stress. As long as there remain millions of people with bad bites and asymmetric jaws without symptoms this concept has to be viewed with skepticism. In addition, if an appliance were to be made to re-align the jaw, it would require the patient to bite or rest on it when in the mouth to hold the jaw in the ‘better’ position. This action of course would violate the principle that the jaws should hang at rest during the day. Clearly this option must be chosen with great care.

From an overall perspective the concept of curing a TMJ problem with an oral appliance is probably a bit of a stretch. Their use however is a critical part of TMJ treatment!

These appliances are extremely helpful in reducing the damage from night clenching or grinding. They work by diminishing the forces exerted on the TM joints and by diminishing the amount of contracture that can be generated in the jaw muscles. Night guards are most effective when custom fit, and adjusted over the course of time. Or you can purchase a generic set at a drug store. Obviously, custom-made night guards that have been conformed to your individual bite-print are more effective in treating TMJ symptoms, but the trade-off is that they’re more expensive.

Bite Splints: This form of therapy uses a mouth guard to physically correct the bite, rather than just relieve pain or reduce damage to the teeth. Bite splints are best for you if you have more extreme TMJ symptoms that need correcting in order to have a hope for any long-term relief. The primary difference between a bite splint and a night guard is that bite splints are worn around the clock, 24-7. It’s a full commitment to correcting the misalignment issues that are causing your TMJ.

So, can mouth guards cure your TMJ? The short answer is: Yes. In some cases, particularly with corrective bite splints, you can realign your bite over the course of time and eliminate those painful TMJ symptoms. In other cases, mouth guards can relieve your symptoms to the point where you feel very little pain or discomfort at all. Stop in to our office and see Dr. Donald T. Tanenbaum for a consultation, fitting, and to end your suffering today.

Learn more about Dr. Tanenbaum’s unique qualifications and expertise, here.

Mouthguards & Nightguards: How Long Do They Need to Be Worn?

October 6, 2011 — by Dr. Donald Tanenbaum

This is a common question asked by patients in my practice. The answer to this question is based mainly on the reason it was recommended in the first place! So, if you are wondering if you will have to wear your nightguard forever, here are some common scenarios. There’s a good chance that one of them fits your situation exactly:

Scenario 1: You have no teeth grinding symptoms, but your dentist notices that your teeth are worn or chipped or that fillings and caps previously placed look worn.

The dentist then informs you that you have been grinding your teeth at night. You’re shocked! You have no pain in your teeth, no jaw muscle soreness in the morning, and you haven’t noticed any other signs to indicate that you are grinding your teeth. Your dentist recommends that you wear a nightguard while you’re sleeping, warning of the problems that will develop if you don’t wear it.

Now here’s the important thing: If you move ahead and get the nightguard, bring it with you and show it to the dentist when you go in for your twice-a-year dental cleaning. If the nightguard exhibits grooves and notches cut into the acrylic, then you have been grinding and you should continue to use it. If, however, there is no evidence of wear and tear, it’s probably in your best interest to bring this to the attention of the dentist and discontinue using it.

Scenario 2: You make an appointment with your dentist because “out of nowhere” your jaw muscles and teeth are aching in the morning.

You mention to your dentist that stress levels have been high in your life and will likely stay that way for an undetermined period of time. A TMJ nightguard is advised and you wear it for a while and notice that the achiness in the morning has decreased.

What next? This all depends on what is going on in your life: stress, fragile emotions, disrupted sleep, etc. As these factors may drive the night grinding it is probably advisable to stay with the nightguard until things calm down. Once life is calm and if your morning symptoms have gone away, you can begin to reduce the number of days the nightguard is worn during the week.

Over time you will likely find that you no longer need the nightguard. Keep in mind, if life issues arise again, the grinding will likely return and you may need the nightguard again, so don’t throw it away!

Scenario 3: You not only have morning jaw muscle soreness, but your teeth ache and you have persistent facial pain during the day. In addition, you feel that you can’t open your mouth wide and chewing has become a chore because your jaw joints click and/or lock.

This scenario suggests that you may have a more significant jaw problem often called ‘TMJ’. Unlike the first two scenarios, the level of muscle and joint compromise is more significant with TMJ. And beyond the night grind there are likely other factors that have led to and are perpetuating the symptoms. In this situation the use of a nightguard at night will likely be for an extended period of time (maybe forever).

I have many patients who return to my office 3-6 years after they were last seen looking to get their nightguard repaired or replaced. Many of these patients tried to stop wearing it when they felt better, but the symptoms began again. In this situation I ask my patient to visit me at least once a year to help maintain the integrity of the device and make sure it is doing the right thing and not causing harm.

Note: There are many different names for dental nightguards:

• Nightguard

• Mouthguard

• Oral Appliance

• Splint

There are many different types as well. The decision to pick one type over another is usually made by your dentist based on your diagnosis.

If you have more questions about TMJ or nightguard use, please visit my website, or comment below.

Thank You!

Dr. Donald Tanenbaum has been practicing in New York City and Long Island for over 20 years. He is uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat bruxism, TMJ and TMD problems, Sleep Apnea, facial pain, muscle pain disorders, nerve pain disorders, tension headaches, and snoring. Learn more about Dr. Tanenbaum here.