At TORC Dental in Dripping Springs, TX, Dr. Subea Hijazi, DDS understands that quality sleep and oral health go hand in hand. When you grind your teeth at night or struggle with sleep apnea, your body can’t fully rest and recover. Custom oral appliances offer a comfortable, effective solution to protect your teeth and improve your breathing during sleep. Our team specializes in creating personalized dental devices that address your specific needs, helping you wake up refreshed and pain-free.
Oral Appliances
Understanding Oral Appliances
Oral appliances are custom-fitted dental devices designed to address various sleep and oral health concerns. These specialized tools work by repositioning your jaw or creating a protective barrier between your upper and lower teeth. Unlike over-the-counter options that rarely fit properly, professional oral appliances are crafted from impressions of your unique mouth structure. This ensures maximum comfort and effectiveness throughout the night.
Many patients don’t realize they need an oral appliance until symptoms become severe. Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, often goes unnoticed because it happens while you sleep. Similarly, sleep apnea can disrupt your rest without you fully waking up. Both conditions can lead to serious health problems if left untreated, including damaged teeth, chronic headaches, and cardiovascular issues.
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Benefits of Oral Appliances
Preservation of Jaw Joint Function
Constant teeth grinding places tremendous stress on your temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects your jawbone to your skull. Over time, this pressure can cause the joint to deteriorate, leading to clicking sounds, limited jaw movement, and chronic pain that radiates through your face and neck. An oral appliance redistributes grinding forces evenly, reducing strain on this delicate joint and helping you maintain normal jaw function as you age.
Reduction in Snoring for Better Relationships
Snoring doesn’t just affect your health—it can disrupt your partner’s sleep and create tension in your relationship. Oral appliances that treat sleep apnea and snoring keep your airway open, allowing air to flow quietly through your respiratory system. Many patients report that their partners are grateful for the peaceful, quiet nights they now enjoy together.
Lower Risk of Dental Emergencies
Severe bruxism can crack or fracture teeth, especially those that already have fillings or crowns. These dental emergencies often happen at inconvenient times and require immediate, costly intervention. By wearing an oral appliance consistently, you reduce the likelihood of sudden tooth damage that could leave you in pain and seeking urgent dental care.
Prevention of Gum Recession
Excessive grinding creates lateral forces that push against your teeth in unnatural directions. This constant pressure can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth over time, exposing sensitive root surfaces. An oral appliance protects against these damaging forces, helping you maintain healthy gum tissue and avoid the sensitivity and decay that often follow recession.
Increased Daytime Productivity
When sleep apnea or bruxism disrupts your rest, you wake up feeling foggy and struggle to concentrate throughout the day. Poor sleep affects your memory, decision-making abilities, and reaction times at work or while driving. Oral appliances help you achieve the uninterrupted sleep your brain needs to consolidate memories, process information, and keep you alert and productive during waking hours.
How We Create Your Custom Oral Appliance
Detailed Sleep and Symptom Analysis
Dr. Subea Hijazi, DDS starts by gathering information about your sleep patterns, including how often you wake during the night and whether you experience daytime drowsiness. She examines your teeth for grinding wear, checks your tongue and throat for airway restrictions, and measures your jaw alignment. We may also review sleep study results if you’ve had testing done, or discuss whether a sleep study would help us create the most effective treatment plan.
Precision Impression and Digital Modeling
Creating an oral appliance that works requires exact measurements of your dental anatomy. We use advanced impression materials that capture every detail of your teeth and bite without causing discomfort during the process. These impressions go to a specialized laboratory where technicians fabricate your device using durable, medical-grade materials designed specifically for nightly wear.
Device Delivery and Functional Testing
When your custom oral appliance is ready, we schedule an appointment to ensure it meets our strict standards for fit and function. Dr. Hijazi checks that the device positions your jaw correctly and doesn’t create any uncomfortable contact points against your teeth or gums. You’ll wear it for several minutes in the office so we can observe how it affects your bite and make immediate modifications if needed.
Home Use Instructions and Troubleshooting
We provide you with a complete care kit and written instructions to reference at home during your first few weeks of use. You’ll learn which sensations are normal as you adjust to wearing the appliance and which issues require our attention. We encourage you to contact our office with questions rather than discontinuing use, as most initial concerns can be resolved with simple adjustments or technique modifications.
Results Evaluation and Device Optimization
After you’ve worn your oral appliance for several weeks, Dr. Subea Hijazi, DDS assesses whether it’s delivering the expected benefits. We ask about changes in your symptoms, examine your teeth for reduced wear patterns, and adjust the device if necessary to improve its effectiveness. Some patients need minor modifications to achieve optimal results, while others experience immediate relief and require only routine monitoring visits.
Why Get Your Oral Appliances from Us
At TORC Dental, we understand that oral appliances only work when they’re designed with precision and worn consistently. Dr. Subea Hijazi, DDS doesn’t rush through appointments or use generic solutions that fail to address your specific concerns. We take a thorough approach to diagnosing the root cause of your symptoms, whether that’s nighttime grinding, airway obstruction, or jaw misalignment. Our modern full-service dental office gives you access to advanced diagnostic tools and experienced professionals who stay current with the latest developments in sleep dentistry.
What sets our practice apart is our commitment to patient education and long-term success. We don’t just hand you a device and send you home—we make sure you understand why you need it, how it works, and what results you should expect. Many patients have tried store-bought guards that caused more problems than they solved, leaving them skeptical about trying again. Our team takes the time to address your past frustrations and demonstrate why custom fabrication makes all the difference in comfort and effectiveness.
Start Sleeping Better Tonight!
Living with chronic teeth grinding or sleep apnea affects more than just your mouth—it drains your energy, impacts your relationships, and puts your long-term health at risk. Custom oral appliances from Dr. Subea Hijazi, DDS at TORC Dental provide targeted relief that helps you reclaim restful nights and productive days. You deserve treatment that addresses your specific needs rather than offering temporary fixes that fail to solve the underlying problem.
Ready to experience the difference that professional oral appliance therapy can make? Reach out to our Dripping Springs team to arrange your comprehensive evaluation and start your path toward better sleep. Stay connected with TORC Dental on Facebook and Instagram where we share valuable insights about dental health, patient experiences, and tips for maintaining your oral appliances. Give us a call today at 512-607-6500 and let’s discuss how we can help you sleep better and protect your smile for years to come.
FAQs
How to clean mouth guard
Clean your mouth guard daily with a soft toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste or mild soap. Rinse it thoroughly with cool water before and after each use to remove bacteria and debris. Once a week, soak your device in a denture cleaner or antimicrobial solution for deeper cleaning, then rinse well before wearing it again.
Is sleeping with a mouth guard dangerous
Sleeping with a properly fitted mouth guard is safe and beneficial for most people. Custom oral appliances designed by dental professionals are made from biocompatible materials that won’t harm your mouth or airways. However, poorly fitting over-the-counter guards can cause discomfort or shift your teeth, which is why professional fitting is important.
Do mouth guards help with snoring
Yes, certain types of mouth guards effectively reduce or eliminate snoring by repositioning your jaw and tongue. These devices, called mandibular advancement devices, keep your airway open during sleep by moving your lower jaw slightly forward. This prevents the soft tissues in your throat from collapsing and vibrating, which is what creates the snoring sound.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night. During these episodes, your brain and body don’t receive enough oxygen, which can lead to daytime fatigue and long-term health problems. The most common type, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when throat muscles relax and block your airway during sleep.
What causes sleep apnea?
Several factors contribute to sleep apnea, including excess weight, large tonsils, and naturally narrow airways. Your tongue and soft palate can also collapse backward during sleep, blocking air from flowing freely. Additional risk factors include age, family history, smoking, and certain medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Can sleep apnea be cured?
While sleep apnea is typically a chronic condition, many people successfully manage it with proper treatment and lifestyle changes. Weight loss, positional therapy, and oral appliances can significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms for some patients. Severe cases may require additional interventions, but consistent treatment allows most people to sleep safely and feel their best.
