Your dentist may recommend a night guard for you if you are having pain you cannot relieve. Many things can cause painful headaches and jaws. Stress is the most common one. Wearing this dental appliance can relieve your discomfort. If you want to know when your dentist may recommend a night guard, here are the details.
Bruxism or teeth grinding often happens when the person has no control. This event causes enamel erosion, which leads to sensitivity. The person then experiences pain when consuming hot and cold drinks or foods. Weakened enamel gives teeth very little protection. This makes teeth vulnerable to tooth decay and dental infections.
Teeth grinding also causes dental fractures. It also weakens dental fillings. The fractures need immediate treatment. Fillings, crowns, and root canals are common treatments for them. Yet, some cases need a dental extraction. Wearing a night guard can protect teeth from dental damage.
The TMJ connects the lower jaw to the skull. Clenching teeth while sleeping puts pressure on the TMJ. This causes misalignment and TMJ dysfunction. This condition causes headaches, difficulty chewing, and ear pain. It can even lock the jaws open or close. A night guard can disperse the pressure and remove the pressure on the TMJ.
An individual may be experiencing bruxism during sleep if there are headaches and neckaches. The TMJ disorder often announces itself through terrible migraines. Tension in the shoulders, mouth, jaw, and neck cause the head pain. The dentist will check the teeth to confirm bruxism.
The teeth would look flattened. This shows the patient’s constant teeth grinding. There will also be gum recession. A night guard can protect the patient from headaches by relieving the pressure on the TMJ.
Wearing a sports mouth guard is not the same as wearing a night guard. A mouth guard covers the teeth and gums. This prevents saliva from reaching teeth and gums. This then encourages bacteria to do more damage.
A night guard has holes. This allows saliva to reach the teeth and gums. Saliva washes away food particles and neutralizes bacterial acids. It battles plaque while protecting teeth during teeth grinding.
A custom-fit night guard fits around the teeth without any problem. Its aim is to protect the upper and lower dental arches from rubbing against each other. A sports mouth guard is not healthy to wear while sleeping. It triggers chewing because the brain senses it as food. This can cause more discomfort. It will also shift the bite over time.
Protecting teeth and dispersing pressure are important when you have bruxism. This is an event in which you do not have any control. The only thing you can do is wear a night guard. Getting a custom-fit one from your dentist will be helpful to your oral health.
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