Benefits of Wearing a Night Guard

What is a Night Guard?

A night guard or bruxism appliance, is a transparent, thin device that you wear over the biting surfaces of your teeth, when sleeping. It prevents your top and bottom teeth from touching and allows your jaw to rest properly. They are made of a custom mold of you your teeth so that they fit without feeling bulky and uncomfortable. When wearing your night guard each night as prescribed it has many benefits and below are just a few.

Chronic headaches: Sometimes also known as tension headaches, chronic headaches can be caused by teeth clenching or grinding. If you frequently wake up with a headache, consider bruxism as a possible cause. People clench or grind their teeth at night, and the pressure on the jaw can cause headaches.

Tooth pain: If you experience tooth pain, and it’s not from cavities, there’s a good chance it’s from bruxism. Bruxism can cause tooth sensitivity, often related to enamel damage, or a fracture you can’t see.

Teeth wear: Likely you’re not going to notice that your teeth are wearing down, but your dentist can tell. When you come in for regular cleaning and maintenance, the hygienist and dentist inspect your teeth. When the protective enamel wears down, the tooth underneath is exposed and more prone to cavities, discoloration, fracturing, failing restorations and other problems.

Better Sleep: When the muscles in your mouth are tense, you are far more likely to be more tense when you sleep.

Wearing a custom fit Night Guard made by your dentist will help alleviate these issues.