RCM Double Arch vs. Smart Guard

In your review of the Double Arch Guard you said that it moved the lower jaw forward and that this was good but it would leave one temporarly unable to make the teeth meet. Does the Smart Guard also move the jaw forward? If so, does it also have the same effect?

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RCM Double Arch vs. Smart Guard

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by: Dr. Spainhower

Hello, thank you for your question.

If you have a underlying bad bite. Or, a bad bite that has been invisible to both you and your dentist, almost any night guard can reveal that bad bite, thus causing your teeth Not to mesh well the very first time you bite your teeth together after taking out the night guard in the morning.

What happens is that the muscles are relaxed with a good night guard which erases the muscle memory of how the brain tells the muscles to close to have the most favorable meshing of the teeth, so they feel good.

So, when you wear the SmartGuard, AND if you have a fundamentally incorrect bad bite (that can go unoticed), the muscles close in a relaxed state Not knowing where the teeth are. The result is that you will hit on One set of teeth (two teeth) first, usually the back molars. But after a few minutes the muscles will readjust the closer of the mandible where the most teeth fit together in a favorable state.

This perception of "teeth moving" or causing a bad bite is completely reversible "if you only wear the night guard for sleeping time only. It's when you where the night guard for multiple nights, that teeth can move (supereruption or intrusion of the teeth).

So, to conclude, yes, you will feel your teeth not mesh initially, but you will feel a greater NON-meshing of the teeth when you wear the Double Arch especially if you already have popping and clicking in the joint.

Non-meshing can happen with both, but to a much greater extent with the double arch because it actually holds your jaw forward. It's actually a bit of a different mechanism compared to the SmartGuard non-mesh feel.

I need more space to describe in detail the differences. If you'd like, you can email me at tmjspainhower at gmail dot com.

Sincerely,

Dr. Spainhower

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