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A night guard is usually used by your London dentist to treat teeth grinding or bruxism. This has been the method of choice for a long time. You probably don’t even know that you grind your teeth. This usually occurs while you are asleep. It is not until your dentist tells you or possibly your partner hears you grind at night that you are aware of it. Some reasons why you grind your teeth include mal-positioned teeth, and tooth/teeth and/or skeletal discrepancies between your upper and lower jaws. Children usually grind their teeth while sleeping. This is primarily due to the arrangement of their baby teeth or when they have their adult teeth erupting into their mouths, and they are looking for a comfortable place where their teeth will meet each other. Following the eruption of secondary teeth into the oral cavity, this grinding usually stops. Your London dentist will perform a complete oral examination of your teeth and gums, take dental X-rays, and make study models of your teeth. They will then recommend their treatment. Grinding may not seem like a large problem to you, however if left untreated, it may result in more serious problems down the road (i.e., jaw, mouth, neck, face, and back pain). Defective fillings, missing teeth, misaligned teeth, and defective crowns/bridges, along with ill fitting removable full or partial dentures, can change your normal bite and cause you to grind your teeth while searching for a suitable resting place for your jaws. Your London dentist may opt to perform an occlusal equilibration, however may not do so until the wear and grinding patterns are shown on your night guard. So, actually, these night guards serve as both diagnostic aids for your dentist and treatment for teeth grinding for you. If a specialist is required to correct your teeth grinding, your London dentist will make the proper referral. .Visit your London Dental Clinic to see if you are grinding or if you need help correcting the problem.