What is a dental night guard?
Dental night guards help protect patients that grind their teeth at night while sleeping.
Teeth grinding, commonly referred to as Bruxism, is a chronic condition whereby individuals grind their teeth during the day or at night.
In the long term, teeth grinding can cause oral health issues. Problems from bruxism include; teeth issues with worn or damaged enamel, gum recession, increased tooth sensitivity, and TMJ disorder development (temporomandibular joint).
According to studies, sleep bruxism is a sleep disorder. In addition, Bruxism affects 85% of the population and affects 31% of adults.
The primary causes linked to teeth grinding are stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, the long term regular habit of comforting stress and anxiety is teeth clenching.
Symptoms of Bruxism
- Teeth grinding during the day or while sleeping. It is common for individuals not to know that they grind their teeth at night until a family member or partner informs them.
- Waking up with headaches
- Jaw soreness
- Facial pain
- Fatigue from lack of “deep” sleep
Bruxism can damage your teeth
- Wearing of teeth
- Provoke toothache
- Facial pain
Mouth guard for Teeth Grinding
While their is not a definitive cure for Bruxism, extensive clinical research has shown relief with the use of a mouth guard. These can also be referred to as dental guards, mouth guards, nocturnal bite plates, or bite splints.
Some patients have found a night guard reduces the rate of snoring and sleep apnoea. Although such results differ between patient conditions.
Night guards protect your teeth by creating a protective soft barrier between your teeth. Therefore, when clenching your jaw, the night guard helps to reduce the tension of the muscles in your jaw along with the impact of your teeth. This results in less pain while also improving sleep.
Dentists are able to prescribe a night guard custom-made for the patient. The advantage and benefits of dental mouth guards is that they allow for better comfort and are less obtrusive than over the counter mouth guards.
Can private health be used to cover a night guard?
Most dental insurance plans cover some or all of the cost. If you’re unsure, please feel free to ask our team and we can assist with your queries prior to booking an appointment.
