A bite splint (also called a crunching splint or dental splint) is an important therapeutic tool to prevent unconscious grinding of the teeth and the resulting health problems and damage. Especially at night, many patients experience teeth grinding with a variety of symptoms.
With undisturbed function, our teeth in the upper and lower jaw only have contact with each other for about 30 minutes a day.. The jaw muscles should relax at night. But this resting phase can be interrupted by grinding or clenching of the teeth, due to stress. This form of stress reduction is described as bruxism. In such a case, a so-called crunch splint can help and provide long-term relief.
What is a crunch splint?
A splint is made of plastic. This is usually created for the upper jaw based on an impression/scan of the teeth. It is used to correct overloading of the teeth and muscles or the jaw joint. It also prevents the patient from grinding their teeth, which is responsible for excessive abrasion of the teeth. The increased clenching or grinding and the associated pressure and friction are not only harmful to the teeth themselves. Apart from grinding facets and even fine cracks that can develop in the enamel, grinding often also results in chronic tension in the jaw joint and the jawbone chewing muscle. As a result, morning headaches, neck tension or even dizziness occur more frequently.
How does the treatment with a splint work?
The plastic splint, individually adapted to your jaw, protects your teeth and also relieves joints and muscles. The bite splint is worn overnight. In special cases, it can be even worn during the day in order to create relaxation when there is an increased feeling of pressure.