Occlusal Appliance Therapy (Bite Guard)

There are many conditions for which we may recommend occlusal appliance therapy, commonly called a bite guard.  When deciding what type of occlusal appliance therapy is best for a patient, we examine medical and dental history, a patient’s joints, muscles, occlusion, posture, and habits.  There are many diagnostic, therapeutic, and restorative options to consider based on a patient’s symptoms.  These include, but are not limited to, stress/behavior management, occlusal appliance therapy, acupuncture, medication (the addition or elimination of, after consultation with your physician), and botulinum (BOTOX^®) therapy.

Symptoms of Needing Occlusal Therapy

Please consider requesting an occlusal analysis appointment with either Dr. Chad Colson or Dr. Jill Colson if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• jaw joint pain
• limited mouth opening due to pain
• chronic head and neck muscle tenderness
• headaches associated with clenching
• tooth wear or bruxism

An anterior bite plane is a very useful diagnostic tool that we use in our practice.  Please watch the following video to understand the purpose behind an anterior bite plane.