There are a number of reasons why one might wear a mouthguard at night, including a condition called bruxism. Bruxism refers to the grinding or clenching of teeth. Additionally, people who suffer from jaw pain, experience jaw clicking or popping, or have TMJ may all benefit from wearing a night guard. If you fall into one of these groups, here is why you might consider talking to your Eagan dentist about wearing a mouthguard at night.
6 BENEFITS OF NIGHTGUARDS
REDUCE PAIN AND TENSION
Night guards are specially made by your dentist to fit your teeth, ensuring that the stress between your jaw joints and muscles is reduced. They are specifically designed to be lightweight, comfortable, and effective at easing the pain and tension that naturally occurs in your jaw when you have one of these conditions.
PREVENT HEADACHES
One of the most common symptoms associated of TMD/TMJ disorders is headaches, which can be debilitating. Night guards can actually make a huge difference in terms of reducing headache frequency. Because their mouthguard eases jaw tension, many people find that once they start wearing it every night, they experience far fewer or less severe headaches and neck pain.
PREVENT TOOTH DAMAGE
This benefit is the most important from your dentist’s perspective. Grinding or clenching your teeth at night can cause severe damage to your teeth over time, such as chipped teeth, damage to fillings, and wear of the teeth and enamel. Wearing a night guard can prevent your teeth from avoidable damage.
BETTER SLEEP
People who clench their teeth at night often have a difficult time sleeping due to the muscle tension. Nightguards are comfortable and promote muscle relaxation in your jaw, which in turn facilitates relaxation in your entire body. Instead of the stressful sleep you have become accustomed to with the degree of jaw tension you are experiencing, you can instead, finally get some restful sleep.
SAVE MONEY
As stated above, over time, grinding and clenching your teeth causes damage to your teeth, which over the years, becomes more and more costly to you. Years of teeth clenching destroys your teeth over the years, and the cost of restorative dentist is astronomical. You can avoid this costly investment by using a night guard now before too much damage is done.
PREVENT SNORING
Snoring can cause major issues, particularly for your relationship with spouse or other sleeping family members. Snoring is associated with grinding and clenching the teeth, as when you clench your teeth, you aren’t able to take in as much air. When you have a night guard in your mouth, the natural space it creates between your teeth increases your air intake, letting your breathe easier and snore less.
Getting set up with your own night guard is a pretty simple process and typically is done with just two visits, one to create the mold and another to test the fitting. The advantages of wearing a night guard are too great to ignore. If you think a night guard might be right for you, contact your dentist at your earliest convenience and start protecting your teeth today.