Posted November 30, 2020 in Night Guards
2 Minute Read:
If your dentist suggests you can benefit from a night mouth guard, you might want to listen to them. Dentists don’t recommend this piece of equipment to everyone, and if they are suggesting one for you, there is a specific reason for it.
A night mouth guard is required for people who grind and clench their teeth at night. According to the American Sleep Association, approximately 10 percent of adults and 15 percent of children grind their teeth at night: a condition called sleep bruxism.
Along with preventing you from grinding your teeth into a damaged state, a night mouth guard has many other impressive benefits.
1. Prevent Headaches and Facial Pain
An adequately designed night mouth guard “shuts down” the muscles that you use for chewing. This allows these overworked muscles to get some much-needed rest at night.
When you spend the entire night grinding and clenching, you’ll often find yourself experiencing facial pain and headaches throughout the day. By using a night mouth guard, your muscles will relax, and you’ll prevent future headaches and facial pain.
2. Improve Sleep Patterns
Your night mouth guard positions the jaw in a strategic way that serves to relax all the surrounding muscles as well. Additionally, they’re designed to be lightweight for maximum comfort. These factors help improve your sleep patterns and the overall quality of sleep you get every night.
3. Achieve a Better-Looking Smile
Everyone wants a nice smile. Well, wearing a night mouth guard can help to protect your smile for better-looking teeth overall. Nightly grinding and clenching of your teeth and jaw can lead to chipped teeth, damaged fillings, and even excessive wear and tear of your teeth.
4. Avoid Costly Corrections
Unfortunately, sleep bruxism isn’t a condition you can ignore and hope it’ll go away. Allowing sleep bruxism to continue without treatment can cause severe damage to your enamel and jaw joints. These issues can require extensive and costly repair treatments. You can save yourself a lot of money and time by wearing your guard every night.
5. Prevent Future Dental Issues
Your teeth may appear stationary, but they can actually “drift.” This is especially common in patients who grind their teeth. Over time, this drifting will cause your smile to change and possibly become crooked. You can avoid teeth drifting by wearing your night mouth guard, which also acts as a kind of orthodontic retainer.
For older patients who are starting to experience bone loss, the night guard acts as a splint and helps prevent teeth from developing excessive mobility.
Interested in Learning More?
Book your dental appointment today to find out if you need a night mouth guard. Schedule an appointment by calling (575) 524-3722 or filling out this form.