Nighttime Mouth Guards
Stuart, FL
Mouth guards are most commonly thought of when thinking of certain sports like football, basketball, soccer, etc., and are not associated with sleeping at night. When we are sleeping, we are prone to clench our mouths and grind our teeth, which can cause severe pain during the day. Wearing a mouth guard or a night guard can prevent this from happening altogether.
Mouth guards are designed to prevent our teeth from any damage done during contact. This even means contact with ourselves if clinching and grinding our teeth. By going untreated, we can potentially cause other problems that are more painful and harder to heal. At our dental office Colin M. McKinney, DMD, our dentists can fit you with a night guard to cure any of your clenching or grinding issues.
Reasons to Wear A Mouth Guard at Night
When we grind our teeth, we are wearing down the bone and enamel and can cause tension and pain. Also, once our enamel is gone, you can not remake or recreate it. This is why protecting our teeth from habits such as this is important in maintaining good oral health. Many people also wear night guards when sleeping to stop the jaw from popping or clicking, to stop lockjaw, or to help with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ).
One reason many people wear mouth guards is to prevent headaches. Headaches are a common thing that comes with TMJ because you are clenching and holding the mouth in place for a long period. Wearing a mouth guard at night prevents the clinching and prevents the headaches and other pains that come with temporomandibular disorders. You can drastically improve your sleep pattern as well when wearing a night guard because you are no longer waking up to the aches and pains.
Mouth guards position the mouth in a way that relaxes the muscles, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. While grinding and clenching are the main reasons to wear a night guard, snoring can also be lessened and prevented when wearing one. Mouth guards are designed with little space between the jaws; this creates maximum airflow and allows you to breathe better.
The Right Mouth Guard for You
Since mouth guards were originally designed for sports, the options for wearing ones at night are still limited to those. Stock mouth guards are your basic mouth guard that can be found at any department store. They are large, bulky guards that are not very flexible and fitted to your mouth, making them extremely uncomfortable, especially when trying to sleep.
Boil and bite mouth guards are the better choice for a lower price because they do fit your mouth better. You boil the guard in water for an extended amount of time and then bite into it. Making it mold to your mouth and teeth, but once they harden again, they become very hard and uncomfortable. The best choice of mouth guards for someone trying to prevent biting and clinching are custom made. Our dentists will fit a mold to your mouth and especially make it to you. Making sure you get the most comfortable mouth guard to wear and sleep in.
To speak with someone about choosing the right mouth guard for you, please call Colin M. McKinney, DMD at (772) 266-2223 to set up an appointment with one of our dentists. |
