Night Guard

What is a Night Guard?

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching (bruxism), during sleep, can seriously impact both your oral health and overall well-being by affecting your sleep quality. Fortunately, night guard provide a highly effective, non-invasive solution to this issue.

A night guard for teeth purpose is basically a custom-made device in dentistry that protects your teeth from grinding against each other. It is typically made from acrylic or soft plastics, and dentists specifically tailor it to fit your unique dental anatomy.

Make sure to consult an expert dentist if you want a reliable, long-lasting night guard. From accurately assessing your condition to customizing the guard that fits perfectly, they can do it all. Furthermore, they also help you choose the right type of night guard, depending on your needs.

That said, let’s dig deeper into procedure, pre-requisites, after care, benefits, and complications of night guards in detail.

Night guard or occlusal splint is a dental device that acts as a protective barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent direct contact between them. They are worn over the teeth while sleeping to protect them from grinding, which can lead to enamel erosion, jaw pain, and headaches.

Dentists make custom-made night guard depending on the patient’s specific dental structure, so they fit snuggly.

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Night Guards Procedure

The process of obtaining a night guard for bruxism is simple and does not take much time. You just need to make sure the orthodontist you are consulting is a professional in this field for an accurate and safe procedure.

However, let’s have a look at the steps you need to follow for getting a custom made occlusal guard:

Step 1: Initial Consultation

The procedure begins with a session with your dentist, where they look for signs of bruxism. For this, they assess common symptoms of the issue, like jaw pain and enamel wear. Based on these details, your oral hygienist then decides whether a mouth guard for sleeping is the best solution based on your condition or if you need any other treatment.

Step 2: Impression Taking

After your need for a dental guard is confirmed, your prosthodontist will take a detailed impression of your upper and lower teeth through a dental mold. The dental mold refers to a negative imprint of the teeth and surrounding mouth tissues, through which a model or cast of the patient’s teeth is created.

Step 3: Custom Fabrication

Your orthodontist will then send the impressions to a dental lab, where technicians craft a uniform night retainer according to the mold’s dimensions and the chosen material.

Step 4: Fitting and Adjustments

Once the night guard is made, the oral surgeon schedules another consultation session to check for its fitting. Alongside, they also look for bite alignment, and make any adjustments if required.

Step 5: Follow-up and Maintenance

Regular follow-up appointments might be required for maintaining the effectiveness of the dental splint. Furthermore, your dentist would also recommend replacing the bruxism guard as it wears down over years.

Prerequisites For Night Guard

It is important that several prerequisites are met for a smooth process. Addressing these factors minimizes complications and ensure the long-term success of the treatment:

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching: To be eligible for night guard, you must be facing the issue of clenching jaw or grinding teeth in sleep.
Healthy gums and teeth: A night guard for grinding should not be made until your dentist addresses existing dental issues, be it cavities, misaligned teeth, or any gum disease.
Proper dental structure: If you have a missing tooth or recently got crowns and bridges, a normal guard might not fit, as it requires a solid dental foundation. In such cases, orthodontists usually recommend a night guard with braces.
Good oral hygiene: You must be someone who maintains good oral hygiene before getting a dental night guard. It is important as this device can potentially trap bacterias and cause gum diseases.
Realistic expectations: There is no doubt in the fact that bite guard is highly effective in preventing bruxism. However, you should know that their usage can not stop this habit completely.

Night Guards After Procedure Care

Proper after-procedure care of the night guard is essential if you want to keep it intact for a longer period. Here are some of the general night guard instructions:

Clean the splint after every use with mild soap and rinse it with cold water
Use toothbrush for deep cleaning
Soak the guard in a denture or retainer cleaner once a week
Store the night guard in a ventilated case to avoid bacterial growth
Regularly inspect your night guards to look for any signs of damage, like cracks or rough spots
Do not eat or drink anything except water when you are wearing your night guard for clenching
Do not chew down hard on the night guard
Always handle it gently. Do not bend or twist it

Night Guards Benefits

Night (occlusal) guards offer a range of benefits that particularly includes enhanced oral health and relief from bruxism-associated discomfort. Furthermore, when made with high-quality materials, they last as long as five years, making them a prolonged investment.

Here’s a look at some night guard benefits:

Teeth Protection: It serves as a protective barrier and prevents upper and lower teeth from grinding against each other.
Reduction in jaw and facial pain: Bruxism is one of the major reasons behind frequent headaches and discomfort in facial muscles, caused by strain on jaw and temples. A night guard helps eliminate these painful symptoms by removing pressure from the jaw.
Prevention of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders: TMJ disorders are usually caused or worsened by teeth grinding. Wearing a bruxism guard prevents them and also relieves related symptoms like jaw clicking, earaches (otalgia), and difficulty in chewing (dysphagia).
Better sleep quality: Grinding of teeth can disturb sleep, which leads to nighttime discomfort and restlessness. Night guard can enhance sleep quality by reducing the impact of this habit.
Breathable: Night guard is built to be breathable, so you can breathe comfortably while sleeping. They maintain an open airway by keeping the upper and lower jaws slightly separated. This feature makes them useful even for patients with sleep apnea.

Complications of Night Guard

While night guard for teeth grinding are highly beneficial in reducing the adverse consequences of this habit, it comes with a set of complications that you must know about. These include:

Bulky or uncomfortable to wear initially
Difficulty speaking clearly
Increased salivation (sialorrhea)
Dry mouth (xerostomia) due to reduced airflow
Gag reflex
Irritation or discomfort due to improper fitting of the night mouthguard
Allergy
Gum tissue irritation or inflammation

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FAQ's

Do teeth hurt after night guard?

When you first use it, you will face minor discomfort. However, if the pain persists, you need to visit your dentist and adjust or replace the device as it usually happens when it doesn’t fit properly.

Is it OK to wear a night guard all day?

The primary purpose of night guard is to provide protection against bruxism while sleeping. However, your dentist might recommend using them during the daytime for some duration to get used to the device.

Do nightguard cause cavities?

Bite guard does not cause cavities directly. But, if you do not clean them properly, bacterial growth may occur, which increases the chances of tooth decay.

Why does my night guard smell?

The smell in the bruxism appliance might be coming from bacterial or plaque buildup. Cleaning it regularly with mild soap or denture cleaner can help get rid of the smell.

Can you drink water while wearing a night guard?

Yes, drinking water while wearing a nighttime mouth guard is fine. However, you should avoid other beverages as they can introduce sugars that lead to growth of bacteria.

How to remove a night guard?

To remove the night guard, gently lift it from one side of your mouth first and then the other. Do not use too much force as it can get broken.

Can I boil my night guard?

No, boiling your night guard is not a good idea, as it can distort its shape and may not fit as comfortably.

Do night guards straighten teeth?

Occlusal splints can not straighten teeth. They only offer protection against grinding and clenching during sleeping.

Can I use toothpaste on my night guard?

Yes, you can use toothpaste on your guard, but make sure it\\\'s non-abrasive and chemical-free. Using abrasive toothpastes can scratch the surface of the dental splint.