6 Benefits Of Wearing A Night Guard!

Many people wake up with dull, constant jaw pain, and most accept it as a way of life. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. While you may have heard people talk about night guards, you might not know how they work or function.

If you’re interested in a less painful, more pleasant morning, you should get a custom nightguard. Here, we discuss six benefits of wearing a nightguard:

What is a nightguard?

Nightguards are retainer-like plastic pieces that can either be hard or soft. They can cover the biting surfaces and be worn on the top or bottom set of teeth. Since people have different teeth patterns, nightguards are custom-made for every patient by folding them to fit your teeth without the risk of being bulky or uncomfortable. Therefore, when you hear dentists talk about a nocturnal bite plate, dental guard, bite splint, occlusal guard, or mouthguard, they mean the same thing.

Benefits of wearing a nightguard

1. Helps you save money

While a one-size-fits-all nightguard wouldn’t cost you much, it’ll be less comfortable. Yes, a custom night guard from Clear Comfort Night Guards may seem a little expensive, but it shouldn’t stop you from getting one. Compared to the cost of restorative dentistry, the cost of a nightguard is far cheaper. Once your teeth start wearing out, restorative dentistry will be the only option. Implants, crowns, fillings, and any procedure that fixes your bite are costly.

2. Prevents chronic headaches

Since TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction manifests itself through migraines, chronic headaches, and neck aches are typically the first symptoms of possible bruxism. The tensed muscles in the jaw, mouth, shoulders, and neck lead to headaches. However, before you start diagnosing yourself as someone with bruxism, there are plenty of ways to verify that the teeth clenching and grinding are what is causing the headaches. For example, look at the surface of your teeth;if they’re flattened (not pointed), you’re grinding your teeth in your sleep. The recession of bone and gum also indicates potential grinding. With a custom-made nightguard, you can eliminate headaches because you won’t have to tense up the muscles again.

3. Prevents temporomandibular joint disorder

The TMJ connects the skull and jaw, affecting the muscles you use to chew. When you clench your teeth in your sleep, you apply pressure to the TMJ, leading to misalignment. You develop TMJ dysfunction when misalignment occurs. The disorder leads to headaches, pain in and around your ear, and difficulty chewing. You may also damage the articular disk, which isn’t just irreparable and may lead to disk displacement. This can cause your jaw to lock open/close unexpectedly, requiring you to visit ER. Since nightguards ease any tension you can cause on the muscles, wearing them can help you prevent the development of this disorder.

4. Prevents teeth damage

Since teeth grinding occurs when you’re not in control, you start losing enamel the more it happens. You may suffer from over-sensitivity if that happens. Consequently, your mouth may barely stand hot/cold food and beverages. Plus, when no enamel protects your teeth, they become susceptible to decay. You can develop infections when the decay continues into the hard enamel of the teeth.

Teeth grinding also fractures weak teeth and wears out any fillings. While the surface of the teeth may handle the pressure linked to biting and chewing, the additional pressure from grinding and clenching isn’t sustainable. So, the tooth either cracks or fractures. Besides suffering the pain that comes with tooth fractures, you’ll have to visit dentists frequently for treatment. While the dentist may sometimes do a filling, you may need more costly treatment like root canals or crowns; implants and bridges can fix tooth loss.

5. Improves sleep

Bruxism symptoms aren’t just unpleasant when you wake up in the morning;they can keep you or your partner awake at night, especially if your grinding is very noisy.

Fortunately, a nightguard can alleviate headaches, face pain, and jaw pain while reducing the stress on your jaw muscles. When you’re not in pain, it’s much easier to get a restful, good night of sleep.

6. Relieves bruxism symptoms

If you have any of the following symptoms: jaw popping, cheek and worn teeth, tongue abrasions,neck pain, face soreness, tooth pain, jaw pain, and morning headaches, you could be grinding and clenching your teeth at night.

The symptoms of teeth clenching can be unpleasant, to say the least. We understand that starting your day on a positive note can be difficult when you wake up in pain. If you grind your teeth at night and don’t wear a nightguard, you may frequently wake up groggy and unable to function, looking for medicines to get rid of nagging headaches that greet you almost every day.

Thanks to night guards, you can relieve or even eliminate these symptoms because they act as a barrier between your top and bottom teeth to absorb some impact from teeth clenching and grinding.

Importance of getting the right nightguard

Prevents changing your bite

Usually, a nightguard is accurately fitted to your bite and teeth because it aims to safeguard the surfaces from grinding against one another. However, sports mouthguards aren’t designed to fit your bite because they’re made from a thicker rubbery material. Softer material will lead you to chew while sleeping because the brain considers it food. This wouldn’t just cause muscle discomfort but may prematurely wear through the soft material. If you wear a sports mouthguard at night, it’ll cause your bite to shift with time.

Prevents plaque development

While the name may sound quite similar, don’t confuse a sports mouthguard with one designed to prevent teeth clenching and grinding. A sports mouthguard may be counterproductive. Since this type of mouthguard covers the gums and teeth, it’s meant to safeguard them from blunt force trauma. However,when worn at night, it catches bacteria on the surface of the gum while you’re asleep because saliva can’t make it to the gums while you’re wearing a sports mouthguard.

Saliva doesn’t just neutralize acids that can lead to cavities;it also washes away food particles that can prevent the development of plaque. Therefore, consulting an oral hygiene professional when looking for a nightguard to avoid damaging your teeth makes a lot of sense. Some nightguards come with holes that allow saliva to access your teeth. A good dentist can help you suggest the right design depending on the condition of your teeth.

Order a night guard online from Clear Comfort Night Guards and wear them before you sleep

Clear Comfort Night Guards offer custom-made night guards to suit the varying needs of our customers. Our night guards help with teeth grinding and similar issues.

So, shop night teeth guard against us and start prioritizing your oral health; our night guards also protect your crowns, veneers, and dental works.

Visit our website now for more information!