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Some patients cannot wear anything. Not a traditional guard. Not a thin retainer. Not the fancy one. They have tried, genuinely tried, and it does not work. Others are dealing with something bigger than an appliance can handle — significant jaw pain, headaches, muscle soreness, broken teeth, repeated damage to dental work. At that point it may be worth seeing a dentist with advanced training in TMJ disorders, or an orofacial pain/TMJ specialist. And for certain patients, anot

Let me start with the sentence that matters most, because I do not want it buried at the bottom: Do not stop or change an antidepressant on your own. Not after reading this. Not after reading anything. Good. Now we can talk. The thing a lot of patients do not know Certain medications, including some SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, have been associated with increased clenching or grinding in some people. Sertraline is one example reported in the dental and medical literature. I

Let's say you did it. Veneers. Crowns. Maybe onlays. The whole aesthetic upgrade. It looks incredible. You cannot stop checking the mirror. Excellent — that is the point. Now here is the unglamorous follow-up nobody puts in the before-and-after post: That beautiful ceramic work lives in a mouth that may be generating enormous force every single night. What we're talking about Veneers Crowns Onlays E-Max restorations LiSi restorations Feldspathic porcelain Other highly aesthet

Most conversations about grinding go straight to the appliance. Wear this. Protect that. See you in six months. And appliances matter — I wrote a whole post about picking one. But an appliance manages the damage. It does not usually address the cause. So let's ask the question nobody asks: Why is your jaw doing this at 3 a.m. in the first place? The connection I wish more people knew about Nighttime grinding has been associated with sleep-disordered breathing, including obstr

If you clench or grind your teeth at night, you have heard this before: "You should wear a night guard." And yes — you probably should. Small problem. A night guard only works if it is actually in your mouth. On the nightstand? Not working. Under the pillow? Not working. Bathroom drawer, behind the expired floss, next to a hotel shampoo from 2019? Definitely not working. I see this constantly in my Tempe practice. Beautiful appliance. Perfect fit. Living in a drawer since Mar

⠀ You want a brighter, more even smile. ⠀ But maybe you've heard that getting veneers means drilling, shots, and saying goodbye to your natural teeth forever. ⠀ Here's the good news: that's not the whole story. ⠀ Prepless veneers — also called no-prep veneers or non-prep veneers — are changing the game, and patients are absolutely loving them. ⠀ If you've been curious about veneers but worried about the commitment, this one's for you. ⠀ So, What Exactly Are Prepless Veneers?