Benefits of Wearing A Night Guard To Sleep

Prevents Damage To Your Teeth

Wearing a night guard to bed is highly beneficial in preventing your teeth from grinding down on one another every night. If left untreated, teeth grinding can wear down your teeth, causing damage to your teeth and sensitivity. Higher sensitivity will cause your teeth to feel pain when hot or cold food or beverage items come in contact with them. Tooth sensitivity, toothaches, and other damage to your teeth can be easily avoided by using a night guard. The grinding can cause your teeth to chip, break, and even damage previous fillings, so by wearing a night guard,you can avoid potential damage.

Protects Against TMG

TMJ, also known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, involves a dysfunction where the muscles and joints in the jaw are used for chewing and other activities. TMJ can be extremely painful and cause a clicking, popping, or cracking in the jaw. TMJ affects your mouth and jaw and can cause damage and pain to your teeth, face, neck, and shoulders. It may also cause some patients to experience frequent headaches and facial pain. A cause of TMJ is bruxism; if your grinding is left untreated, you could increase the risk of TMJ. Bruxism causes the pressure of the teeth from grinding and clenching at night, negatively impacting your muscles and nerves around the jaw. Sleeping with a night guard can prevent your teeth from grinding and decrease the risk of TMJ.

Reduces Headaches

As previously mentioned, headaches can frequently occur in patients with TMJ and untreated bruxism. The constant grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw can put a toll on the body and nerves. Tension and even chronic headaches can result from bruxism as it causes tension in the teeth and ears. Many patients with bruxism may wake up in the middle of the night with an excruciating headache due to their grinding. Avoid painful headaches by wearing a night guard to bed and notice the pressure being relieved from your jaw and face!

Improves Sleep Quality

Another great added benefit of using a night guard to sleep is that your sleep quality will noticeably improve. When you grind in your sleep, it is commonly due to stress and anxiety as you think about everything you have to do. Managing your stress is a great way to prevent bruxism, but that is always easier said than done. Wearing a night guard will help you sleep because you will not be grinding or clenching. The discomfort and pain that bruxism can cause will disturb your sleep and cause you to wake up in the middle of the night due to a headache or toothache. Improve the quality of your sleep today by consulting your doctor about night guards for bruxism.