Dr. Okada is the dentist and owner. She does every exam and fits every guard herself, and she says plainly what a guard can and can't do.
General dentist · Pensacola
A dentist who takes a sore morning jaw seriously
Okada Dental looks at how you clench and grind, tells you what Dr. Okada sees, and makes a night guard that fits your teeth. The fee is in writing before anything is made.
A plain read
Clenching, grinding and night guards
For anyone who wakes with a tight jaw. It is what we say in the first visit, so you can read it first.
What clenching and grinding are
Clenching is pressing your teeth together hard. Grinding is sliding them across each other. Many people do one or both, most often during sleep and without knowing it. The word for it is bruxism. It comes and goes, and it varies a lot from person to person. Stress, poor sleep, some medicines and a lot of caffeine or alcohol are among the things linked to it, and nobody can say for sure why a given person does it.
How you might notice
- A sore or tight jaw when you wake up
- A dull ache by your ear or at your temples
- Teeth that feel sensitive, or look flat or chipped at the edges
- A partner who hears grinding in the night
- A click or a catch when you open wide
None of these proves you clench, and each has other causes. That is why the first visit is an exam and a talk, not a guess.
What a night guard does
A night guard is a thin, firm cover that fits over your upper or lower teeth while you sleep. It gives your teeth something to press on instead of each other, so the biting surfaces wear less. It does not stop you from clenching, and it is not a treatment for the jaw joint. Some people feel their jaw is better with one, and some notice no difference. We tell you that before you decide.
A pharmacy guard or a custom one
Guards from the pharmacy are made to fit most mouths. A custom guard is made from an impression or a scan of your own teeth, and Dr. Okada checks how your teeth meet on it and adjusts it. A guard that is too thick, too loose or the wrong shape can make a jaw feel worse, which is why we check the fit at a follow-up visit.
What a guard can't tell you
A guard doesn't tell you why you clench. It can't tell you whether loud snoring, pauses in your breathing or heavy tiredness in the day mean something else. Those are a physician's to look into. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician, often with a sleep test, and we don't diagnose or treat it here. If any of that sounds like you, we ask you to see your physician first.
What happens at your visit
Dr. Okada asks about your mornings, your sleep and any pain. She looks at your teeth and gums and watches how your jaw moves, then tells you what she sees. If a guard makes sense you hear the options and the fee in writing before anything is made.
Looking after a guard
Rinse it in cool water, brush it gently, let it dry and keep it in its case. Keep it away from pets, who find it irresistible. Bring it to each visit so we can check the fit.
The visits
Four kinds of visit
Each page says what happens, what it is like, and how it is billed.
A guard made from an impression or scan of your teeth, then fitted and checked.
A look at how your teeth meet and how your jaw moves.
Grinding at night, and when a physician should look first.
A joint that clicks, catches or tires, and what we can and can't do about it.
Choosing a guard
A pharmacy guard or a custom one
A pharmacy guard can be a fair first try; if one makes your jaw feel worse, stop wearing it and call us. This is how the two differ.
| Pharmacy guard | Custom guard | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Pharmacy guardA stock shape, or boil-and-bite at home | Custom guardFrom an impression or a scan of your own teeth |
| The fit | Pharmacy guardYou judge the fit yourself | Custom guardChecked on your teeth and adjusted at a follow-up visit |
| Your bite | Pharmacy guardNot checked; a thick or loose one can feel wrong in the jaw | Custom guardDr. Okada checks that your teeth meet evenly on it |
| How long it lasts | Pharmacy guardDepends how hard you clench; nobody checks it | Custom guardDepends how hard you clench; we check it at each visit |
| The fee | Pharmacy guardThe shelf price | Custom guardGiven in writing before it is made |
A first visit
What happens, in order
Nothing is made until you have heard the fee and said yes.
- 01
Step 1: You ask for a visit
Use the form or call. Catherine Lange at the front desk finds a time and answers questions about fees.
- 02
Step 2: You write down your history, privately
Health history goes in the patient portal we send you, never in a message or on this site.
- 03
Step 3: Dr. Okada listens, then looks
About an hour: your mornings and your sleep, then your teeth, your gums and how your jaw moves. X-rays only if she needs them.
- 04
Step 4: You hear the options and the fee
If a guard makes sense, she explains the choices and gives you the fee in writing. Take it home before you decide.
- 05
Step 5: You decide, and we begin
If you say yes, we take an impression or a scan. You come back to have the guard fitted.
The dentist
One dentist, every visit
A small office. You see Dr. Okada each time, with Chrystal Echols beside her at the chair.
Questions
Before you call
Will a night guard stop me from clenching?
No. It protects your teeth from wearing against each other. Some people find their jaw feels better with one, and some notice no change.
Do you treat sleep apnea?
No. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician. If you snore loudly, wake gasping or are very tired in the day, please see your physician. We can make a guard for clenching once you've been seen.
Do you take my insurance?
We are out of network with every plan. We don't file claims, and we give you an itemized receipt you can send to a plan that reimburses out-of-network care.
Do I need X-rays?
Only if Dr. Okada needs them to see something an exam can't. She tells you why before she takes any.
Ask for a visit
Tell us how and when to reach you and Catherine will send back a time. Please keep health details out of the message; for anything urgent, call the office.