Custom Night Guards Help Prevent Grinding
If you are looking for custom night guards to stop grinding your teeth, call Alaska Dental Associates and schedule an appointment to see Dr. Kyle Triggs, an expert in mouth guards. Dr. Triggs and our team will help you protect your teeth with a custom fitted appliance.
Bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding, is a problem that many of our patients have suffered from, but they are often originally completely unaware of it. After feeling some symptoms, like sore jaw muscles, patients will come in looking for a night guard to prevent the grinding.
The most common symptoms are sore muscles in your jaw or face, tension headaches, or unusually worn teeth. If you are experiencing these or other symptoms, please call us and we will help you to get fitted for a custom bite guard.
Learn about other dental appliances that we offer here.
What is the Benefit of a Night Guard in Anchorage?
When you grind your teeth, you put extra strain on your jaw muscles. You might notice this when you wake up. That extra strain can cause your face and ears to feel sore as well. The most serious side effect is that it can wear your teeth down.
There is also a connection between bruxism and snoring. With your teeth getting worn down, your mouth, when closed, will leave less room inside for your tongue. This can lead to sleep apnea, a very serious sleep disorder that can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of other health issues.
Night guards are plastic mouthpieces that are custom-molded to your teeth. They offer several benefits for teeth grinding, including:
- Night guards keep your upper teeth and lower teeth spaced far enough apart at night so that they do not come together to grind.
- They help position your jaw so that your upper breathing area remains open, so you can breathe freely, helping you to sleep.
- With your jaw better positioned, you are less likely to snore.
- With your snoring reduced or eliminated, you will avoid being a sleep apnea patient.
- Peace of mind, knowing that you can wake up pain-free and symptom-free.
Are Night Guards Hard to Get Used to?
It takes time to form a new habit, and the same can be said for night guards. They can be a bit uncomfortable at first. For example, the material might be thick and bulky in your mouth.
Some patients also experience side effects to wearing night guards. While they are minor and do not occur with each patient, they can be inconvenient. It’s important to commit to wearing it regardless, in order to prevent your nightly teeth grinding.
One side effect from wearing the night guards is excessive salivation. The new night guard is something that your body is adjusting to, and one way it does so is to engage your saliva glands.
Another side effect is dry mouth. The constant exchange of air in and out of your mouth can dry it out. Your mouth could be so dry that it feels like it could paste shut, or you may wake up thirsty.
These are minor side effects, and outweigh the risks of grinding down your teeth each night.
Conclusion
If you wake up in the morning with sore jaw muscles, tension headaches, or obvious but unusual wear on your teeth, then you could benefit from custom night guards. Give us a call and set up an appointment to check your teeth, so our dentist can recommend and fit you for a night guard that will help you combat the teeth grinding.
By getting the night guard you will avoid further damage to your teeth, and relieve the soreness in your jaw, your face, and any headaches you may be enduring. A custom fit night guard will also keep your jaw in an ideal position to allow a free flow of air to pass in and out while you sleep, minimizing snoring, and ensuring that you remain asleep through the night.