How Do Night Guards Prevent Teeth Grinding?
Do you grind or clench your teeth at night? If so, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with our Naples dentist to discuss getting a night guard.
People who grind their teeth at night often wake up with sore jaws and headaches. If left untreated, teeth grinding (also known as ) can wear down tooth enamel and contribute to TMJ disorders.
If you suspect you may have bruxism, you may benefit from wearing a night guard when you sleep.
What Is Bruxism?
People who have bruxism grind their teeth at night — sometimes loud enough to wake up their partner! Since most of the happens while you’re asleep, you may not ever know you have bruxism until our dentist spots the signs during your routine dental exam.
Symptoms of include:
- Worn tooth enamel
- Headaches (especially after waking up)
- Sore jaw
- TMJ disorder
- Earaches
- Neck pain
- Painful teeth
- Chipped or fractured teeth
- Loose teeth
Getting a night mouth guard protects your teeth and jaws from bruxism and saves you money in the long run. The force from grinding your teeth not only overworks your jaw muscles, but can also damage your teeth over time. It’s not uncommon for patients to need dental crowns, veneers, or other dental restorations if teeth grinding isn’t addressed as soon as possible.
How Night Guards Work
A bruxism mouth guard is an oral appliance you wear while you sleep that forms a protective layer between your upper and lower teeth. During your first appointment, our dentist will take impressions of your teeth and send them to the lab that will make your custom night guard.
When you come back for your second appointment, our dentist will make any final adjustments necessary to make sure your night guard fits properly. That way, you will be able to protect your teeth at night while still breathing easily and sleeping comfortably.
Why Night Guards Are Important for Oral Health
A night guard for teeth grinding is the best way to protect your smile from bruxism. The night guard forms a protective layer between your upper and lawyer teeth so you can’t clench your jaw and damage your smile.
A custom sleep night guard will help get rid of the headaches you’ve been experiencing as well as any pain or discomfort for your jaw or teeth. After you’ve been wearing your night guard for a while, you should also notice an overall improvement in your quality of sleep.
If you are under a lot of stress, you may have difficulty trying to stop teeth grinding on your own. If you suspect you have bruxism, you should schedule a dental appointment with our Naples dentist to discuss getting a night guard to relieve your symptoms.
Sleep Better with a Custom Night Guard
Dr. Vanessa Rashid DMD, our Naples, FL, night guard dentist, is dedicated to helping you maintain a beautiful, healthy smile. Call The Modern Dentist at (239) 591-3330, or contact us online to schedule an appointment.
This blog post has been updated.