Nightguard is a plastic protective piece that covers the biting surface of your teeth that protects you teeth from being damaged.This is pretty common and can be painful and destructive to teeth.
The fact that teeth clenching, also known as bruxism, can negatively affect your oral health is important for you to understand. According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, bruxism during sleep is very different from bruxism while awake. This is because when someone is sleeping they are not aware of what they are doing, which can lead to a large amount of force being placed on the jaws and in turn cause jaw pain, jaw dysfunction and/or ongoing fatigue and damage teeth.
How does a night guard work?
They work by putting a barrier between your teeth. When you clench your jaw, the night guard for teeth helps to lighten the tension and give cushion to the muscles in the jaw. This cushioning not only helps to prevent face and jaw pain, but also protects the enamel of your teeth. During grinding the guard wears down instead of your teeth. Nightguards also give your jaw a rest while you sleep.
When to get a nightguard?
- Recurring contractions of your jaw muscles
- Clenching sound while sleeping
- Your jaw muscles are either tight or painful
- Occasional swelling in the lower jaw due to clenching
How are they made?
- We will take impressions of your mouth, to make a customized nightguard.
- The impressions of your mouth are sent to a lab that specializes in making dental appliances.
- We will make sure that your dental appliance fits snugly so you feel more comfortable and you breathe easily while asleep.
Call us today to schedule a consultation!