Should I Wear a Night Guard?

Do you ever wake up with headaches or jaw pain in the morning that seems unexplainable? You may be part of the eight percent of people who grind their teeth at night. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, most commonly occurs with stress and anxiety, but it can affect anyone. The good news is there is an easy, cost-effective way to change this bad habit: a night guard! In today’s blog post, we want to discuss who should wear a night guard and how this simple device can improve your oral health. 

The first step in deciding if you should wear a night guard is to be diagnosed with bruxism.

Although some people grind their teeth while awake, many people grind their teeth while sleeping and may not even realize that they are doing it. A hallmark sign is waking up with headaches and jaw pain. Your dentist may be able to see some physical signs of bruxism as well, like wear on your teeth. Other symptoms include overly sensitive teeth, locking of the jaw, popping or clicking of the jaw, tongue indentations, and more. 

Our first line of defense against bruxism is to create an oral sleep appliance similar to a night guard while sleeping.

This option can decrease the effects of bruxism. The custom-fit guard will act as a buffer between your teeth and helps to loosen the tension and significantly decrease the severity of teeth grinding. The cushion not only decreases face and jaw pain but also helps to stop the damage to tooth enamel. After receiving your night guard, you’ll wake up happy and headache-free in no time!

If you need a night guard, schedule an appointment at Maitland Ave Smile Co.!

First, you’ll need to come in for a consultation with Dr. Miller or Dr. Solberg to confirm that an oral sleep appliance is the best course of action for your specific needs. After the exam, we will take an impression of your mouth to create a custom night guard. We will then adjust it to perfectly fit your smile.

Night guards are just the first step in getting your beautiful, pain-free smile back. If teeth grinding has caused any physical issues, we will create a treatment plan based on your individual needs. Here at Maitland Ave Smile Co., we combine restorative dentistry with cosmetic dentistry to address the damage and discomfort due to grinding. We may recommend crowns, veneers, or dental bonding to further fix the issues. 

 

Give us a call at (407) 834-0330 or request an appointment online today! 

Check out our Dental Blog to learn more about topics like restorative dentistry, wisdom teeth, and teeth whitening.