Pamela here (Dr. Bloom’s wife) sharing my very recent experience of having my custom bite splint made. Oh my—I now have a very different appreciation for the precision, time, and care that goes into this process. It begins in the lab— Heidi makes the initial mold. She then hands it off to Dr. Bloom to customize and fine-tune. This process is an art and an exercise in patience. Not only does Dr. Bloom demand the best acrylic (light, super-durable and smooth), but it MUST fit perfectly! Anything short is unacceptable. He’s designing a custom bite splint to protect you from the ravages of bruxing (breaking and/or loose teeth, gum issues, jaw, TMJ pain and headaches) during sleep.
Given that we all have curious sleep habits, he’s going to test drive every possible weird contortion, even the most extreme like sliding your jaw off to one side. So when you’re having yours fine-tuned, and he asks you to slide your jaw off to one side, you’ll know he’s just doing a test run— in case you do this in your sleep. He’s fine-tuning your bite appliance so that it feels balanced and comfy to wear (not obtrusive) and smooth to the tongue. You’ll know when Dr Bloom has done his job when you wake rested, relaxed, tension and headache-free. Patients tell us it’s also anti-aging.