Pre Bite Splint Care
- Rest and limit jaw opening, avoid wide opening to bite into large items of food (Granny Smith apples, Zingerman’s sandwhiches, etc). This places your jaw in a vulnerable position – which may strain or dislocate the jaw ligament
- Soft diet, soft foods, no hard crust breads, no chewing gum, taffy or carmels
- Apply cold compresses (bag of frozen peas, ice pack, frozen Dixie cup, etc) or ice. Massage 3 to 4 times a day if you notice pain
- Warm moist compresses, (warm towel heated in microwave, gel packs heated or warm wash cloths if you notice stiffness in jaw muscle
- Take 2 to 4 tabs of Ibuprofen 200mg (or Motrin or Advil every 3 to 4 hours, maximum 12 tabs in a day)
This may control your symptoms, however, if jaw pain, stiffness, or locking open or closed persists we advise that a bite splint should be fabricated for you to wear at night.
Chronic clenching or grinding of your teeth will cause accelerated, excessive wear to your teeth. A bite splint is advised to keep you from wearing your teeth prematurely.
