The Atlanta Dental Group PC dentists have provided soft grinding guard therapy to hundredsof patients and it works. It's a dental appliance that is constructed to protect the teeth, to decrease the destruction caused by tooth grinding and to relax the jaw muscles in TMJ patients. The 0.150 inch soft plastic material on the lower teeth works best. This material provides an even thickness of soft plastic and adapts excellently to a dental model of the patient's lower teeth.

          It is important to construct the lower soft grinding guard properly. If it's not constructed tightly, it can be removed and thrown across the room while a patient sleeps. The material is thermoplastic, meaning that it gets soft when heated and hardens as it cools. If the material is allowed to cool at room temperature on the model for several hours, the soft material shrinks tightly and gives an excellent fit.

          The soft grinding guard must be worn correctly. If you only wear a cast at night for a broken leg, the break won't heal. The soft dental appliance pulls the jaw joints down and forward away from the ear. Most patients want to position their jaws forward and the soft grinding guard does this so that the muscles will not have to do so. If you only wear it at night, it won't work. The jaw joints are part of a human body and it doesn't make sense to think that the dental treatment is the only thing needed to stop tooth grinding or cure a TMJ problem. We also place all patients on an extensive six week program.

          When not being worn, a soft grinding guard should be placed in a retainer box or pets will chew it up since it smells like food. Athletic guards like the ones you can get at Sports Authority do not work well because they are too thick, unevenly constructed, attach to both jaws and have lots of sharp edges. However, we do recommend it for emergencies when a patient can not get into the office or is out of town.

          If you are considering getting a grinding guard and would like to consult with Dr. Padolsky, please make your appointment by calling 404-874-7428.