With 2025 drawing to a close and 2026 right around the corner, now is the time to take advantage of your remaining annual dental insurance benefits before they expire on December 31. This is the perfect opportunity to schedule that appointment for a closer look at that nagging jaw pain that could be making it difficult to eat, speak, and get through the day pain-free. Here’s what could be causing it and why treating it before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve can help protect your smile and your wallet!
Bruxism and Jaw Pain
If you injured your jaw playing sports or in another accident, it would be easy to understand why it may be hurting you. But often, patients have no idea why they are experiencing pain and stiffness in their jaws. A common cause for this is a condition called bruxism, which is the medical term for teeth grinding. Bruxism can affect people of any age or gender and may include jaw clenching with or without the teeth touching each other.
In addition to jaw pain and stiffness, it can also cause broken, chipped, or excessively worn teeth, tooth sensitivity, and even secondary conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
Treating Bruxism
Although there is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for bruxism, many patients find relief in a custom bite guard. These devices are crafted in a dental lab using molds and images from your mouth, so they fit you perfectly. This ensures that your orthotics are extremely comfortable, so you are more likely to wear them to bed at night, when most people experience teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Using Your Dental Insurance Benefits to Treat Bruxism
Although individual dental insurance plans will vary in the treatments they will cover, many do offer partial coverage for bite guards, making now an ideal time to seek help for bruxism. Your dentist’s insurance team understands the ins and outs of most plans and can help you maximize your benefits and help make your device more affordable.
Remember, with the end of the year almost here, now is the time to take advantage of your unused dental insurance benefits. Don’t start another year with jaw pain and stiffness due to bruxism. Schedule a consultation for a bite guard from your dentist and start 2026 with a healthy, pain-free smile!
About Dr. Bemani
Following her arrival in the United States from Iran, Dr. Maryam Bemani earned her master’s degree in biomedical science from Hood College, and her dental degree from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Today, over 20 years later, she still strives to keep her skills and knowledge current by taking numerous hours of continuing education each year. If you are suffering from debilitating jaw pain and stiffness, it could be caused by Bruxism. To learn more about this condition, and how an orthotic device from Advance Dental Clinic could help, schedule a consultation on our website or call us today at 443-251-5580.