A: Many people who notice chipped or cracked teeth, but don’t remember when the injury occurred, damaged their teeth while they were sleeping. Grinding or clenching your teeth during the night will cause your teeth to chip, crack and even break. To keep you from seriously damaging your teeth, we may recommend a dental appliance called a nightguard. A custom fitted nightguard protects your teeth from grinding and clenching in your sleep. Dr. Samaddar takes great care in making sure you have a proper fit to prevent pain in your jaw joint. Do you also suffer from headaches? If so, you may find that a side benefit of your nightguard is headache prevention. Many headaches start during the night, caused by the extreme pressure generated as you grind and clench your teeth. Ask us about having a nightguard custom created for you.

Your teeth may be hitting in poor alignment, not just during sleep, but also possibly while eating and normal daytime activities! If this is the case, re-aligning your teeth, even if you have already had orthodontic treatment in the past, may be something to consider. Most of us were not told to wear our retainers for life and if we stopped, our teeth most likely will have shifted over time. We can thoroughly review all scenarios and guide you to a healthy place for your smile.