Hi Grace,

Anytime a person has a bruxism habit, their teeth tend to hurt... even the gums. The reason is because every tooth is held in the bone by a periodontal ligament... this ligament acts like a rubber band allowing the teeth to have some flexibility as we chew and it also is a source of nutrition for the teeth. However, when you grind or clench your teeth you are actually rocking your teeth back and forth which causes trauma to the ligament and it becomes inflamed. As a result the teeth and gums can be sore or achey or you could even have various areas of sharp or shooting pain. If the habit is not controlled and/or the teeth are not adequately protected by a proper fitting night guard, then the ligaments will become wide as they pull away from the root of the tooth. Pocketing and bone loss will eventually occur between the tooth and the gum where bacteria can become trapped. This habit can also irritate the pulp of the tooth and cause the tooth to die.

The night guard acts as a cushion and takes the brunt force off of the teeth, gums, and ligaments.

Yes, it is normal to have some twinges of pain in an extraction site for several weeks post op the removal of the tooth.

Bryanna