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Understanding Nightguards
Nightguards, also known as dental guards or mouth guards, are oral appliances that are used to prevent the potential effects of teeth grinding. These appliances are usually made from a durable clear plastic called acrylic resin and can be either soft or hard. Your dentist will recommend wearing the nightguard over the upper front row of your teeth to prevent them from coming into contact with the lower front teeth while you sleep. In cases of severe teeth grinding, a dental guard for the lower teeth may be prescribed. In addition to providing protection, mouthguards also provide cushioning for the jaw muscles.
Advantages of Using Night Guards for Bruxism
Some individuals have a tendency to grind their teeth when they are angry, stressed, or anxious during the day (daytime bruxism) or while sleeping (nighttime bruxism). This habit is mostly unconscious and involuntary, and it can be harmful to your oral health. To protect your teeth, your dentist may suggest using a nightguard along with any prescribed treatments for anxiety, such as medication or therapy.
Although night guards do not stop the habit of teeth grinding, consistently using one can help prevent damage to fillings, chipping or loosening of teeth, and excessive wear of the tooth enamel. Additionally, using a nightguard may improve your sleep and alleviate symptoms associated with bruxism.
- Tooth sensitivity or discomfort
- Biting the cheeks
- Gums that are pulling back
- Tiredness caused by interrupted sleep throughout the night.
- Experiencing discomfort in the face due to tight or sore jaw muscles.
- Temple-related headaches
Advantages of Using Nightguards for TMJ
There are two joints in your mouth called the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). They work together to help you open and close your mouth. If you grind your teeth for a long time, it can cause problems with these joints, leading to TMJ and symptoms like jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds, or a locked jaw. Other causes can be inflammation or an injury to the jaw. Nightguards for TMJ can help position your jaws correctly and relax the muscles while you sleep. Using a nightguard may effectively improve other TMJ symptoms, such as:
- Pain or discomfort in the face
- Pain in the neck and shoulders
- Severe discomfort resembling an earache
- A feeling of hearing a ringing sound in the ear.
- Difficulty with chewing or speaking
- Experiencing discomfort while eating or talking.