Do you often wake up with headaches or experience jaw pain? Have you been told that you grind your teeth? If you answered yes, you may benefit from wearing a night guard to protect your pearly whites. A night guard is a plastic retainer-like dental appliance that covers the biting surfaces and can be worn on either the bottom or top set of teeth.
4 Benefits of Night Guards
#1. Prevents tooth damage
Wearing a night guard ensures your top teeth and bottom teeth don’t make contact while you sleep. Teeth grinding is common and can wreak havoc on your teeth.
Grinding causes teeth to lose enamel, which results in overly sensitive teeth. Other problems associated with grinding include damage to fillings. Teeth can also chip or break if you grind your teeth hard enough.
#2. Reduces jaw tension and pain
Another common thing people do in their sleep is clench their jaw. Wearing a dental night guard decreases both jaw tension and pain caused by TMD.
#3. Prevents headaches
If you routinely wake up with headaches, you might be grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw shut in your sleep. This action can cause jaw pain and earaches, neck pain and muscle fatigue. A custom-made night guard can help prevent these issues.
#4. Inhibits snoring
When your jaw is clenched, you can experience breathing problems, which can lead to snoring. Wearing a night guard keeps your top and bottom jaws from touching. By keeping your jaws separate, there’s an increase in the amount of air you can breathe in while you sleep. This increase in air improves your breathing and reduces snoring.
Over-the-Counter vs Custom
While relatively inexpensive, OTC night guards are pre-molded to fit any mouth. The long-term use of such devices causes your bite to shift, as they have not been specifically made for the shape of your teeth.
We can create a night guard that’s custom-fitted and more comfortable than one you’d purchase at a store. When taken care of properly, a professionally crafted night guard can last many years.
Take that first step toward safeguarding your smile with a custom-crafted night guard. Reach out to us!
