How Does Occlusal Therapy Work?

Occlusal therapy in New Boston, OH can help you align your bite and improve the overall function of your mouth, but you might not know exactly what it is, how long you’ll need to do it, and how long you can expect the results to last. Here, we’ll look at the specifics of the therapy and what it’s used for.

What to Expect from Occlusal Therapy

It can be confusing for people to understand this dental procedure because it’s a broad term. It includes any number of major interventions:

• Night guards: Probably the most common type of occlusal therapy, night guards protect the teeth from grinding at night. This can help you avoid the kind of tooth damage that can lead to misalignment.
• Occlusal splint: Used to alleviate TMJ disorder, a condition that affects the hinges of your jaw, an occlusal splint can reposition the jaw and support the joints.
• Adjustment: A dentist in New Boston, OH may remove a small portion of the enamel in an attempt to redistribute the force of your bite to ensure more balance. A dentist may also hand-shape the biting surfaces as a way to achieve bite equilibrium.

Occlusal therapy can also encompass any number of standard orthodontic or dental procedures. For example, you might need a crown or braces to help bring the teeth into alignment and correct your bite.

How Long Do I Need Occlusal Therapy?

This depends on both the severity of the condition and the way your mouth responds to the treatment. Some people will enjoy swift corrections that last forever. Others may need multiple trips to the dentist to ensure that their bite isn’t knocked off course.

See an Expert in Occlusal Therapy

The bite can feel like a mystery to many people, but you can think of it like a small piece of sand against your skin. While this tiny piece of sand may not seem like much of a threat, any friction over time can cause major irritation to the skin. And because it’s unlikely to correct itself on its own, the compound effects of a misaligned bite can really make a difference in your quality of life. Contact Scioto Smiles today if you’d like to correct this issue once and for all!