Why Are Night Guards Necessary
Many people may not realize this, but they clench their jaws or grind their teeth at night while they sleep. This may be due to stress or other factors, and it leads to symptoms like headaches, painful jaws, or chipped teeth.
This is why many experts recommend using dental guards during the night. Here are some other reasons to invest in night guards:
It Prevents Teeth from Getting Damaged
When you grind your teeth at night, it leads to gradual damage and the loss of enamel. This may not affect you initially, but over time, the loss of enamel leads to over-sensitivity, which can affect your day-to-day life. You’re eventually unable to tolerate cold and hot food and beverages, and your teeth become increasingly prone to decay and get infected more frequently.
Wearing a night guard, though, can help you protect your upper and lower teeth from one another. The night guard serves as a protective layer between them, keeping any tooth damage at bay.
Night Guards Help with TMJ Symptoms
Temporomandibular disorder (TMJ disorder) is a serious but common condition experienced by millions of Americans. It may be caused by a variety of factors, including joint overuse and tooth misalignment.
If you have TMJ disorder, you may experience migraine, joint clicking, headaches, and jaw pain—all of which are extremely painful and uncomfortable symptoms. Wearing a dental guard during the day and at night can help ease these symptoms, though.
Saves You from Chronic Headaches
If you wake up with migraines every day, then the use of night guards may help significantly. TMJ dysfunction causes migraines, and so does bruxism because when the muscles in your mouth, jaw, neck, and shoulders tense up, they cause headaches.
In such cases, using a custom-made night guard may be a game-changer.
Night Guards Help You Sleep Better
If you keep waking up throughout the night due to teeth grinding and jaw clenching, a night guard is definitely a worthwhile investment. It may help you sleep through the night while also helping you get better quality sleep and more relaxed jaw and face muscles each morning.
Night Guards May Help Your Partner Sleep Better
If you experience sleep apnea or generally snore a lot, chances are that your partner isn’t getting the best quality sleep either. Many experts recommend using night guards to treat sleep apnea and prevent snoring—it’s definitely worth a try if you want your partner to sleep better!
It Can Help You Save Money in The Long Run
Custom-made night guards may appear to be quite an investment at first, but they do help you save money in the long run. Bruxism and other teeth-grinding and jaw-clenching conditions typically trigger other health concerns. So, regularly wearing night guards can help keep those conditions—and their potentially expensive treatments—at bay.
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