So you’re thinking about using a night guard for your grinding issues, but you’re not sure if it’s right for you.
It’s understandable. Like wearing a retainer, it can be a bit challenging to get used to sleeping with an oral appliance in your mouth. Once you do, though, you’ll quickly see that the benefits make it worth the learning curve.
But did you know that night guard can help you with more than your bruxism? Consistent, long-term use of these dental devices could improve your overall health, including, but not limited to, these four ways.
1. Reduced Tooth Damage and Decay
Night guards are made from thin, transparent layers of food-grade material. They slide over your upper or lower teeth, preventing them from touching (and grinding) while you’re asleep.
Left untreated, the clenching and grinding bruxers do can result in significant tooth damage. The strength of your jaw muscles is impressive. When you’re sleeping, they can exert 490 pounds of pressure (PSI). To put that in perspective, a lion has a bite force of 650 PSI, and an English Mastiff bites at 550 PSI.
With that comparison in mind, it’s not surprising that bruxers often end up with chipped and cracked teeth. As the enamel wears away, teeth become sensitive, fillings are damaged, and roots become painfully exposed.
A simple night guard can help you avoid all of this unnecessary (and expensive) dental discomfort. A custom-made night guard slides over all the nooks and crannies in your teeth to stop the damage. Over time, regular night guard wear will prevent the need for costly dental treatment and tooth restoration.
2. Reduced Headaches
Do you find yourself waking up in the morning with a low-grade headache — irritating and hard to ignore? These are called tension headaches, and they’re extremely common if you’re dealing with bruxism.
Tension headaches occur because of the constant clenching of your jaw and grinding teeth. The jaw muscles tighten up, pulling on the surrounding muscles in the ear, neck, and shoulders.
Wearing the night guard reduces the pressure on the muscles, relaxing them and giving your headaches a rest.
3. Improved TMJ Disorder Symptoms
Bruxing and TMJ are often linked together. Your temporomandibular joint is a tiny, extremely delicate hinge that connects the jaw and skull together. It’s used for everything from talking to yawning.
When the muscles around it are sore, they swell up and push on the TMJ. If the joint is out of alignment at all, it becomes painful. Over time, regular misalignment results in one of more than 30 TMJ disorders.
TMJ pain impacts the nerves, ligaments, and muscles surrounding the jaw. It can be mild and annoying or become serious and debilitating.
Wearing a night guard relieves the pressure from the jaw muscles and relieves stress on the temporomandibular joint. It’s one of the first suggestions TMJ specialists give their patients, but you don’t need an expert to recommend a night guard. You’re already wearing one or planning to soon!
4. Better Sleep
Chronic fatigue is a common side effect bruxers complain about frequently. Even if they think they’re sleeping all night, the pain that happens when they grind and clench keeps them from having a restful slumber.
Wearing the night guard not only keeps your upper and lower teeth from touching but it secures your jaw in the right position for the best muscle relaxation. Because your jaw muscles are at rest, the connected muscles, joints, and ligaments are relaxed, too.
Ultimately, this leads to less stress on your body, giving your brain the focus it needs to get into the stage of sleep where it can repair the day’s damage. This stage is vital if you want to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. But it’s difficult to get to when you’re in pain.
Night guards can also improve the quality of breath you have while you’re sleeping, keeping the airways open. Wearing this appliance creates a pathway between your jaws that increases airflow and minimizes snoring. You’ll get a better night’s sleep, and so will those around you!
Conclusion
If you were thinking about a night guard but were on the fence about it, consider the impact it could have on your overall health.
Skipping this simple treatment could mean serious damage to your teeth, jaws, and surrounding muscles, as well as your sleep patterns. But wearing one has significant benefits that start at your mouth and extend to the rest of your mind and body.
