The occlusal plate is a form preventive treatment that’s most often suggested for patients suffering from bruxism. This plate limits the effects that involuntary movements can have on your oral health.
Come and learn more about the benefits of the occlusal plate and its cost. If you believe this treatment might be for you, don’t hesitate to ask about it during your next dentist appointment.
Bruxism: What Is It?
Bruxism is the term used to describe the recurring occurrences of teeth grinding or clenching outside of those necessary for chewing. In most cases, these movements mostly occur during sleep. As such, it’s hard to know that we suffer from bruxism if we don’t notice the negative side effects.
Here’s a list of symptoms that can appear if you suffer from bruxism:
- Headaches when you wake up
- Pain felt in the facial joints and muscles
- Frequent pain in the neck
- Premature dental wear
- And a few other effects on your general health!
Often, bruxism can’t be cured. Indeed, since it involves involuntary movement, there’s no way to completely stop yourself from grinding or clenching your teeth. However, an occlusal plate allows to limit the negative effects bruxism can have on your health.
What Is the Occlusal Plate for?
The occlusal plate is a clear plastic tray. This tray is used to cover the upper, lower, or even both sets of teeth. Generally, it’s only worn at night, while you’re asleep.
The treatment specifics will vary depending on the severity of your bruxism and your mouth’s overall needs. The usage of an occlusal plate is a completely customizable treatment that’s tailor-made to answer the patient’s needs.
The plate undertakes many different jobs while it’s inside your mouth. It’s used to:
- Protect your teeth from abnormal wear brought on by grinding
- Absorb the pressure and forces involved and relax your muscles
- Help you avoid the muscular pains and spasms brought on by bruxism
In short, if you’re suffering from bruxism, an occlusal plate is a preventive treatment that will stop your teeth from grinding on each other and causing you health problems. It’s a preventive solution that helps avoid negative consequences rather than cure the cause itself.
It’s one of the most common answers to bruxism cases when it’s impossible to treat the problem itself and completely stop the involuntary movements.
Lifespan of an Occlusal Plate
The occlusal plate is designed to resist the wear and tear expected from constant usage by the patient. Well maintained, it can easily serve its purpose for many years without any problem.
For the cost of an occlusal plate, you’ll get an appliance that will help you avoid a lot of medical problems and that can be used for years on end. As such, it’s possible to save a lot of money on treatment costs.
Its lifespan will depend mostly on the severity of your bruxism. Indeed, if you suffer from a very severe case, it’s possible that the trays undergo forces more intense than what they were built to handle. It’s difficult to give a general estimate of an occlusal plate’s lifespan, as it’s mostly based on case-by-case basis.
Cost of an Occlusal Plate
The cost of an occlusal plate will vary depending on many criteria. This appliance is designed to perfectly fit your teeth and is customized for each patient. The treatment costs will vary according to:
- Your mouth’s shape
- The severity of the forces and pressure applied during bruxism episodes
- The current state of your dentition
- And a few other factors!
To learn more about the cost of a personalized occlusal tray, it’s important to ask your dentist. With the help of a complete dental examination, your dentist will be able to determine if this treatment is the right answer to your problem. If that’s the case, he will be able to give you an estimate of the occlusal plate cost.
The main advantage of the occlusal plate is that it will allow you to easily avoid additional costs linked to the treatments and repairs necessary to fix the problems created by your bruxism. Indeed, in the long-term, bruxism can cause serious dental problems, some that could even be irreparable.
To learn more about bruxism and the occlusal plate, don’t hesitate to ask your dentist any questions you may have on the subject. The professionals over at the Centre Dentaire & d’Implantologie de Boucherville will gladly answer all your queries: schedule an appointment today!