Bite Adjustment

A bite is considered to be healthy when all or most of the teeth are present and not destroyed by normal daily usage.

It is destructive when teeth show wear, looseness or when TMJ (jaw joint) damage is seen. Bite therapy helps restore a bite that can function without damage and destruction. The therapy may include:

• Reshaping the biting surfaces of the teeth and eliminating spots of excessive pressures where the teeth are brought into contact. This is done by carefully dividing bite pressures evenly across all of the teeth.
• Bite splint therapy using a custom-fitted and adjusted plastic bite guard to keep the teeth apart, worn during the day, at night, or both.
• Braces to reposition mal-aligned or drifted teeth.
• Replacement of old, worn out, or damaged fillings.
• Reconstruction of badly worn and damaged teeth.

Some patients clench their teeth unconsciously when they sleep. This causes enormous stress on the teeth and if they are already weakened from periodontal bone loss can lead to tooth loss. A plastic mouthpiece, known as a nightguard, may be worn at night to prevent the excessive forces from harming the teeth.