Night Guards for
Why You Should Use Night Guards
If you suffer from bruxism or teeth grinding problems, night mouth guards are the easiest solution for it. Bruxism is the medical term given to teeth grinding. It is that annoying habit of people to make clenching sounds with their teeth as they sleep, either during the day or during the night.
Generally speaking, there are two kinds of night mouth guards. The most popular one is the type you can easily buy over-the-counter. The other type of night mouth guard is the one especially created by a dentist to fit onto your teeth. These are referred to as the custom-fit night mouth guards and they may take some time and money to create.
However, using night mouth guards for bruxism is imperative not only because you have to maintain your pretty smile. You need these guards because it can keep headaches and jaw pains from developing. Night mouth guards do more than just keep your teeth from getting broken or scratched. It will also ensure you of a long and restful sleep, night after night.
Why do you suffer from bruxism?
The effects of bruxism can be very intense in some people. Some suffer from severe jaw pains and a splitting headache upon waking up in the morning. It’s a good thing that a good percentage of bruxism patients respond to night mouth guards. The moment they wear the device, they tend to be more conscious of the movement of their teeth, especially their tendency to clench teeth. Night mouth guards serve as overnight protection for your teeth to keep them from touching each other.
Patients suffering from bruxism are advised to consult with their dentist to address the problem. There are several factors why people tend to grind their teeth. Night mouth guards are not the only solution to the problem. For some patients, surgery may be required. Others would need a few sessions of behavioral correction therapy to solve the problem. But if you really want to use night mouth guards, try to get the custom-fit types.
These ones fit snugly to your teeth so they won’t fall off easily even if you are deep into your sleep. However, the custom-fit guards are far more expensive compared to the over-the-counter variants.
Who Needs a Mouth Guard?
Mouth guards should be used by anyone — both children and adults — who play contact sports such as football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, even those participating in non-contact sports (for example, gymnastics) and any recreational activity (for example, skateboarding, mountain biking) that might pose a risk of injury to the mouth would benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard.
Adults and children who grind their teeth at night should have a nocturnal bite plate or bite splint made to prevent tooth damage.
The use of night mouth guards is very important for bruxism patients. For one thing, these simple devices can protect the surface of your teeth, ensuring you of a perfectly good smile all the time. Severe bruxism can damage your dentures. And chipped teeth don’t contribute to a beautiful smile at all. Without a confident smile, it is a little harder for you to face the world and its challenges. This is how important your teeth and your smile can be.
Types of mouth guards
1. Stock mouth guards are preformed and come ready to wear. They are inexpensive and can be bought at most sporting goods stores and department stores. However, little can be done to adjust their fit, they are bulky, make breathing and talking difficult, and they provide little or no protection. Dentists do not recommend their use.
2. Boil and bite mouth guards also can be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. The “boil and bite” mouth guard is made from thermoplastic material. It is placed in hot water to soften, then placed in the mouth and shaped around the teeth using finger and tongue pressure.
3. Custom-fitted mouth guards are individually designed and made in a dental office or a professional laboratory based on your dentist’s instructions. First, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth and a mouth guard is then molded over the model using a special material. Due to the use of the special material and because of the extra time and work involved, this custom-made mouth guard is more expensive than the other types, but it provides the most comfort, protection, and certainly the better choice.
Generally, mouth guards cover your upper teeth only, but in some instances (such as if you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw), your dentist will make a mouth guard for the lower teeth as well. Your dentist can suggest the best mouth guard for you. An effective mouth guard should be comfortable, resist tears, be durable and easy to clean, and should not restrict your breathing or speech. If you grind your teeth at night, a special mouth guard-type of dental appliance — called a nocturnal bite plate or bite splint (NTI) — may be created to prevent tooth damage.