Many of the people who come to us with jaw pain have already been given a splint by their dentist, have worn it faithfully, and still have pain. Some conclude the splint does not work. Usually it is doing exactly what it is meant to do; it is just that a splint only addresses part of the problem.
What a splint does
A night splint, also called an occlusal splint or night guard, sits between the teeth while you sleep. It stops the teeth grinding against each other, which protects them from wear and cracking. It cushions the jaw joint so grinding does not load it as heavily. And for some people it changes the resting position of the jaw enough to reduce muscle activity overnight.
Those are real benefits, and if you grind at night a splint is usually worth having. Dentists recommend them for good reasons.
What a splint does not do
A splint does not release muscles that are already tight. If the masseter and temporalis muscles have been overworking for months or years, they stay tight whether or not there is a piece of acrylic between your teeth.
It does not address daytime clenching, which for many people is the bigger contributor. Clenching while concentrating, driving, lifting or under stress happens with the splint in a drawer.
It does not restore movement to a joint that has stiffened, or change how a displaced disc tracks.
And it does nothing for the neck. The jaw and the upper neck share muscles, nerves and posture, and a stiff neck keeps the jaw tense no matter what is happening at the teeth. This is the piece most often missed.
Why the combination works better
Jaw pain usually has several parts: the joint, the chewing muscles, the neck, and the habits that load all three. A splint covers one of them well. Hands-on treatment covers the others: releasing the overworked muscles, restoring movement to the joint and the neck, and helping you become aware of and reduce clenching through the day. Together they address the whole picture, which is why we prefer to work alongside your dentist rather than replace what they have prescribed.
What treatment involves
A first appointment assesses how the jaw moves, the joint on each side, the chewing muscles from outside and, where helpful, inside the mouth, and the upper neck. We ask about your splint, your dental history and when the pain is worst. Then we explain what we think is keeping the jaw tight and what can be done about it, and treatment usually begins in the same session. With your permission we report findings back to your dentist so the two approaches line up.
Jaw pain treatment in Ballina and Lismore
If you have a splint and still have pain, the missing piece is usually the muscles and the neck. You can see our osteopath in Ballina or our osteopath in Lismore; read more on our jaw and orofacial pain page.