If you’ve ever woken up with jaw pain, sensitive teeth persisting throughout the day, and a prolonged feeling of exhaustion due to disrupted sleep during the night, a night guard may be the solution to these problems.
Night guards offer teeth protection throughout the night similarly to mouthguards, but instead of protecting your teeth from a baseball or rogue hockey puck, a night guard protects your teeth from the harmful effects of grinding and jaw clenching in your sleep.
Reasons to Wear a Night Guard
If a patient suffers from temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ disorder, they will experience pain in one or each of their jaw joints and/or in the muscles that control the movement of the jaw. TMJ disorder can be caused by a number ofr reasons, including a past injury to the jaw, a misalignment of the jaw or teeth, arthritis, or stress. A custom night guard can help align the teeth and jaw to alleviate tension and reduce the pain caused by TMJ disorder.
Another reason to seek a custom night guard is if a patient suffers from Bruxism, or teeth grinding. Bruxism during the night can be caused by a patient’s stress, anxiety, or another sleep-related disorder, and prolonged grinding can lead to broken or damaged teeth and other oral health complications. A night guard can protect a patient’s teeth from touching during the night, preventing the damage brought on by nightly teeth grinding.
Symptoms of Grinding or Clenching During the Night
Clenching your teeth or grinding them during the night can cause you pain and sensitivity during the day and while you’re trying to sleep. A night guard decreases the amount of pain felt when grinding your teeth and alleviate the following symptoms a patient may experience throughout the night:
- Tooth pain or sensitivity
- Cracked, worn, or chipped teeth
- Worn enamel
- The sound may keep your partner awake
- Jaw, head, neck, or face pain
- Soft tissue damage on the inside of your cheeks
- Poor sleep
- Tight jaw muscles
Custom Night Guards At Printers Row Dental Studio
Every mouth is different, and over-the-counter night guards may offer temporary relief to a patient, but only a custom-made night guard will provide a patient with long-term pain relief and protection.
At Printers Row Dental Studio, we offer custom-made night guards made specifically for your needs. With the help of your dentist at PRDS, we can determine the best type of night guard for your lifestyle which offers you the most protection.
If you or a loved one suspect you may be experiencing symptoms of teeth grinding and would like to create a custom-made night guard, please call Dr. Ema at Printers Row Dental Studio and Chicago Veneers: (312) 435-0411.
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