Do I Need a Night Guard for Teeth Grinding?
Do you ever wake up with a sore jaw or headache? If so, you may be grinding your teeth at night. Over time, teeth grinding wears away enamel and puts you at higher risk for fractures, TMJ disorders, or even tooth loss. The good news is that wearing a custom night guard may help relieve your symptoms.
Continue reading to learn how to spot the signs of bruxism and whether you need a custom night guard.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the medical term for grinding or clenching teeth. Many people are unaware that they grind their teeth at night until it’s brought up by their dentist during their routine dental exam. Your partner may also alert you to teeth grinding if it’s loud enough to wake them up at night.
Symptoms Of Bruxism Include:
- Worn tooth enamel
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Jaw pain
- Neck pain
- Tooth pain
- Fractured, chipped, or loose teeth
- TMJ disorders
The force exerted from teeth grinding overworks your jaw muscles so you wake up feeling sore. If left untreated, bruxism can wear down your teeth to the point where our dentist recommends you get porcelain crowns or other tooth restorations to repair your smile. Thankfully, a night guard protects your smile from teeth grinding and saves you money in the long run.
How Does A Night Guard Protect My Teeth?
A night guard is an oral appliance you wear while you sleep that forms a protective layer between your upper and lower teeth. During your first appointment, our dentist will take dental impressions and send them to the lab where your bruxism guard will be made.
Once your night guard is ready, you will be called back to our dental office. Before sending you home with your new night guard, our dentist may make slight adjustments to the fit so you can breathe and sleep comfortably.
Why Is Wearing A Night Guard Important?
A bruxism guard is one of the best ways you can protect your smile from teeth grinding. If you are tired of waking up with jaw or neck pain, you’ll want to ask our dentist about getting a night guard. You might be surprised by how well-rested you’ll feel after your first night wearing a dental night guard.
Teeth grinding is a hard habit to kick, especially if you’re under a lot of stress. Thankfully, a night guard can protect your smile so you can get a good night’s sleep.
Night guards also help you save money in the long run because they help you avoid paying for expensive tooth restorations. For example, you may need a dental crown to repair a broken tooth. It costs much less in the long run to get a night guard than it does to pay to repair teeth damaged by bruxism.
Request an Appointment With Us!
Dr. Gibson is proud to offer custom night guards to help relieve jaw pain and other symptoms of bruxism. To request an appointment and learn if you need a night guard, call Gibson Dental at (614) 878-9562. Our , would be more than happy to help!
This blog post has been updated.