How To Treat Bruxism: This Gadget Changed Everything for Me

For most of my life, I have suffered from nighttime bruxism. I have tried various materials, multiple products, and even gone as far as making my own in our office lab. Nothing lasted long, fit well, or gave me enough occlusal clearance to be effective.

Then Troy Schmedding, DDS, owner of Family Dentistry of Walnut Creek in California, introduced me to GrindRelief® PRO. It was easy to form to my mouth and had a comfortable fit, and I began to see results almost immediately. My jaw pain began to subside, along with my teeth sensitivity, and much to my surprise, I felt relief in my upper shoulders and neck. It’s been wonderful to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and pain free.

Now, anytime a patient comes into our office with the signs and symptoms of potential bruxism, we can offer the convenience of GrindRelief PRO. It’s easily fitted by the doctor, hygienist, or auxiliary, so in a matter of minutes, we can provide immediate help to our patients without the need for impressions, models, lab fees, and a follow-up appointment before we can begin to help our struggling patient. GrindRelief PRO allows us the ability to immediately begin the diagnostic evaluation and determine if it is the proper treatment and/or long-term prothesis of choice.

Compared with the devices that we have had made by the laboratory, GrindRelief PRO is very economical, provides the same clinical results, and is cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration. Should the dentition change over time (growing children) or should we deliver other restorations/prosthetics to the patient, GrindRelief PRO can be refitted in a matter of a few minutes, which is much faster and easier to do than with other devices.

Figure 1. The outer surface of GrindRelief PRO is flat and smooth; the inner surface contains a moldable thermoplastic material suitable for adaptation to the patient’s tooth surface.

Figure 2. Place GrindRelief PRO into 160 °F water with the external surface resting on the bottom of the bowl to avoid the internal thermoplastic from sticking.

Figure 3. After 45 to 60 seconds, the internal thermoplastic becomes completely translucent in appearance.

Figure 4. Remove it from the water, and place the formed thermoplastic material back into the tray.

Figure 5. Line up the midline, and gently push down onto the patient’s lower anterior teeth.

Figure 6. Have the patient slowly close into the tray to establish uniform contact on the GrindRelief PRO.

Figure 7. While the thermoplastic is soft, border mold around the appliance to ensure a good fit.

Figure 8. As opacity begins to return to the appliance, gently rock it in place to ensure it doesn’t get locked on.

Figure 9. Immediately place GrindRelief PRO in cooling water to set it completely, or let it cool in the mouth.

Figure 10. Reinsert GrindRelief PRO to verify fit with proper anterior contact.

Figure 11. Lastly, retract the cheek to verify posterior disclusion.

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Note: The outer surface of GrindRelief PRO is flat and smooth, and the inner surface contains a moldable thermoplastic material suitable for adaptation to patient’s tooth surface (Figure 1). See Figures 2 to 10 for additional details on the basic steps for preparing/fitting GrindRelief PRO in approximately 10 minutes or less. In our practice, Dr Schmedding is the diagnostician, and then I, the assistant, take it from there.

Figure 11 shows the retracted cheek to verify posterior disclusion.

GrindRelief PRO is available directly from Grind Guard Technologies, LLC, at grindreliefpro.com.