What are the Benefits of Using Night Guards?

Dental care is increasingly gaining popularity worldwide. As technology continues to better dental treatment, people are quickly understanding the benefits of taking care of their oral health. When it comes to teeth, many things can go wrong. Other than needing a root canal therapy, braces or aligners, people have more dental concerns.

For people who wake up with discomfort and pain in the jaws and teeth can have a hard time going to bed at night. The tension in the jaws can be very painful for some people, which makes the single-visit dentistry very crucial.

What is a night guard?

A night guard is a device used in dental treatment for bruxism. Bruxism is a medical condition that results from excessive grinding or clenching of the upper and lower teeth. The clenching then causes a strain on the muscles of the mouth. From this, patients experience tension and pain in their jaws. A night guard is useful in preventing lockjaw and reducing the pain that comes with it.

What are some of the advantages of wearing a night guard?

A night guard may not sound like a pretty concept for a first-time user. However, putting it on might have more advantages for your situation than you may think. Here are some of them:

1. It reduces tension and pain in the jaws

The contact between your top and lower teeth can cause some tension on your jaws. It might explain why you get up in the middle of the night with a sore jaw. If your jaws are always painful in the morning, consider visiting your dentists for dental exams and cleaning. From the visit, a recommendation to wear a night guard can help reduce the tension and pain in the jaws.

2. It prevents tooth damage

You know how the teeth grind uncomfortably unintentionally? During sleep, teeth grinding can happen due to the contact of your upper and lower teeth. For most patients, they are not even aware of teeth grinding at night.

The problem with teeth grinding is that it loses the enamel of teeth. With time, you will experience a lot of sensitivity in your teeth. If the grinding is too much, you can even crack or chip your teeth. Besides, you do not want to live with the possibility of damaged teeth fillings due to grinding of the teeth. A night guard might be your only solution out of this.

3. It helps prevent headaches

The tension in the jaws can go a long way in making your life uncomfortable. It is not just the pain in the bone structure and jawline of your mouth that is affected. Without a night guard, you have to deal with muscle fatigues, neck pains, jaw aches, and even earaches. This is as a result of excessive teeth grinding. In time, it is not uncommon for such patients to complain of headaches. When parts of your face are under tension or in pain, it is natural for you to experience headaches.

4. It allows for healthy sleep patterns

Most patients that require a night guard go through a lot of hassle trying to sleep. The lack of sleep by itself can have immense negative consequences on the overall health of the patient. Instead of staying up all night because of the discomfort in your teeth and jaw, a night guard is recommended. This way, your sleep can be sound and your mornings painless.

Besides, since sleep is meant to promote the relaxation of the body and the brain, a night guard promotes relaxation. This is possible by ensuring the muscles of the mouth are relaxed through the night.

It helps prevent snoring

Snoring can become very intense for people. If this it becomes too common for patients, they end up suffering sleep apnea that is ruinous for healthy sleep patterns. By creating a space between your upper and lower teeth, a night guard allows for air in your airflow. This considerably reduces your snoring.

Can help with straightening your teeth

Even though a night guard is not the proper prescription for misaligned teeth, it can help align them. Ideally, a night guard is fitted to your dental formula. This means that with proper usage, a night guard can promote shifting of your teeth, although gradually.