Night guards are clear plastic mouthpieces made to fit over your top or bottom teeth. Wearing a night guard can help with many different dental health issues. This article discusses how night guards help protect your teeth and treat problems like grinding, TMJ, and enamel loss. It covers the main reasons your dentist may suggest you wear a custom night guard.
Protect Teeth From Grinding
Night guards cushion teeth from damage caused by grinding or clenching. This harmful habit can lead to fractures, chips, soreness, and rapid wear. Guards shield teeth from these effects during sleep.
Reduce Symptoms of TMJ
Night guards can relieve TMJ by calming jaw muscles that move excessively, especially at night. TMJ guards reposition the jaw slightly to take pressure off the temporomandibular joints. This reduces pain and discomfort.
Prevent Tooth Enamel Loss
Grinding erodes tooth enamel over time. Night guards act as a barrier to help preserve enamel thickness and prevent sensitivity. Protecting enamel will maintain healthy, strong teeth.
Lessen Tooth Sensitivity
Guards stop teeth that have exposed dentin tubules from rubbing against each other. Direct contact worsens nerve sensitivity. Biting on a night guard minimizes this irritation.
Aid Oral Appliance Therapy
If you use a mandibular advancement device for sleep apnea, wearing it with a night guard prevents tooth wear. The guard absorbs force from the lower jaw being pulled forward.
Help Heal Clenching Injuries
Guards allow overused jaw muscles strained from repeated clenching to rest and recover. This facilitates healing and reduces discomfort in the muscles.
Improve Sleep Quality
Wearing guards while you sleep prevents awakening from teeth grinding. Uninterrupted sleep provides better rest, which is vital to health. Discuss sleep issues with your doctor.
Relieve Bruxism
Night guards effectively manage bruxism, or involuntary grinding due to stress or sleep pattern issues. Protecting teeth lets you maintain the habit without damage.
Consult our dentist to see if a custom night guard is recommended in your situation. These easy-to-use devices prevent many oral health problems.
Night guards are clear plastic mouthpieces made to fit over your top or bottom teeth. Wearing a night guard can help with many different dental health issues. This article discusses how night guards help protect your teeth and treat problems like grinding, TMJ, and enamel loss. It covers the main reasons your dentist may suggest you wear a custom night guard.