Stopping Sleep Bruxism With a Night Guard

Do you wake up every morning with a sore jaw or a terrible headache? Do you have worn-down or flattened teeth? If so, you may have sleep bruxism. Teeth damage results from the unconscious habit of clenching and grinding teeth while asleep. One of the best ways to stop the damage is wearing a night guard.

What Is Sleep Bruxism?

Sleep bruxism is an involuntary sleep-related movement disorder. It occurs when one is asleep and causes teeth clenching and grinding. Most people with sleep bruxism have other sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea or snoring.

Symptoms of Sleep Bruxism

Below are signs and symptoms that show you experience sleep bruxism:

• Teeth clenching or grinding

• Increased tooth sensitivity and pain

• Worn-out teeth enamel

• Loose, fractured, chipped, or flattened teeth

• Tight or tired jaw muscles

• A locked or completely closed jaw

• Face, jaw, or neck soreness or pain

• Sleep disruptions

• Damage on the inside of your cheek due to chewing

• A headache that starts from your temple and feels dull

• Earache

What Is a Night Guard?

A night guard is a dental appliance made of durable plastic that you wear over your teeth at night while you sleep. It helps prevent teeth grinding, reducing your need for future dental restorative treatments. 

When your teeth clench or begin grinding, the force meant to transfer to the teeth transfers to the night guard. As a result, the night guard helps protect your teeth from damage.

How Does a Night Guard Protect Your Teeth?

A night guard acts as a protective barrier between your lower and upper teeth. When your teeth clench or begin grinding, the night guard absorbs the force instead, actively protecting your teeth from damage.

People who experience sleep bruxism without night guards suffer from tooth sensitivity. Your enamel wears out due to the constant teeth grinding, causing teeth sensitivity. You may also have cracked and chipped teeth that may need repair through further dental treatments to restore the health of your teeth.

A night guard helps stop headaches from discomfort and pain from your teeth or jaw. Night guards improve your sleep quality, allowing you to wake up refreshed and without pain. 

Night guards treat some sleep apnea cases by keeping your jawline aligned, causing an open airway while you sleep. The night guards have helped some patients avoid other forms of expensive treatment. However, not every sleep apnea patient benefit from night guards. 

The Process of Getting a Customized Night Guard

Getting your custom-made night guard is a painless process. Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. They will use it to create a mold to fabricate the night guard using a durable plastic material. The fabrication takes place in a lab. Once your dentist verifies that the night guard fits, the next step entails wearing it while you sleep. 

You may feel odd in the beginning while wearing it, but you will soon get used to wearing the night guard. The guard will not affect how you speak or breathe. Patients who complain about being uncomfortable are wearing the wrong size. 

For more on using a night guard to stop sleep bruxism, visit Today’s Family Dental at our office in Tampa or Lutz, Florida. Call (813) 212-8700 to schedule an appointment today.