Dental Care: Teeth Grinding Night Guards
Approximately 20% of adults and roughly 30% of children suffer from teeth grinding, a condition called bruxism. This oral health disorder is characterized by involuntary teeth grinding and it takes place when you are asleep. In most cases, the bruxism is accompanied by jaw scrunching. Getting a custom dental night guard will help you surprise the effects of this condition.
While it’s not a serious issue, bruxism cause jaw pain, chronic headache and can lead to chipped teeth. Even though there is no cure for the teeth grinding, the specialized night guards will do an effective work of lessening the clenching and getting rid of the pain.
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A quality night guard offers numerous benefits. For this reason, choosing the right device for your needs is important. However, this can be a daunting task since there is a wide variety of custom dental night guard optional accessible and myriad of factors to consider when making a purchase.
What to Consider when Buying Night Guards
When it comes to purchasing a Custom dental night guard, there are a plethora of things to consider. Here are some of the decisive aspects of choosing the right option.
Before anything else, it is important to know why you need the mouth guard. In this case, you can consult a dentist who will assist you in assessing the extent of the situation.
You might want to see a dentist if you are experiencing headache, facial pain or jaw pain. Note that the form of bruxism plays a vital role in defining the most ideal thickness, material, and type of night guard.
If you are having daytime bruxism, get a light and ultra-thin daytime mouth guard that is invisible. For moderate bruxism, getting a hybrid, acrylic and custom-made protector will be ideal. If you have extreme bruxism, get an acrylic protector that is 3 millimeters thick.
How a Mouth Guard is Fixed
People tend to have different teeth alignment. For this reason, it is important to get the right guard that offers the exact fit for your teeth. Never use low-quality and inexpensive mouth guard. A bad-fitting night guard will worsen the situation in case if severe symptoms and this will lead to discomfort when speaking or eating.
In the worst case scenario, this might cause your teeth alignment to be disfigured permanently. There are three primary types of mouth guards namely;
Stock Mouth Guards
This is pre-designed ready-to-use mouth guards that are available in numerous department stores and sporting shops. They are relatively cheap. The majority of professional dentists won’t recommend this type since they are heavy and bulky and they offer poor protection.
Boil and Bite Mouth Protectors
Even though this type of mouth protector will offer a better fit than the stock mouth guard, it is not at the same level with custom dental night guards. The boil and bite mouth guards are made from thermo-softening plastic. This means that you must place it in hot water before use. Once the protector is soft, place it in your mouth and bite it down to shape your teeth.
Custom-Designed Mouth guards
The protectors are designed in a unique way as to personally fit your teeth and get customized for your mouth. Bear in mind that these type of guards are not available at shops since they are fabricated in dental labs. While this option tends to be more costly, you will get value for your money since they offer the greatest protection and comfort.
Are Custom Night Guards Comfortable?
Apart from giving a patient a custom fitting, the night guard must be cozy to offer the comfort you need. Significantly, your guard must solve the discomfort and problems caused by teeth clenching. Therefore, ensure that the device you plan to use suits snuggly to give you a comfy feel when using it.
What is Custom Dental Night Guard Made from?
The most important thing you must consider when buying a mouth guard is the material composition of the protector.
Mouth guards are made of rigid substances and the custom types comprise of two layers. The bottom layer of the guard is made from materials like laminate while the top layer is made of soft acrylic material. Make sure you buy a model that is free from latex.
Since you will be sleeping with your guard in your mouth for up to 7 hours every day, the last thing you want is chewing a plastic that is harmful to your health.
Final word
Are you a victim of teeth grinding while asleep? Don’t overlook this oral health problem since habitual teeth grinding will cause dental erosion and deformation of the jaws. For this reason, it is important to choose the best custom dental night guard and put it on when sleeping. This will counter the symptoms of bruxism and deal with your issues in a convenient way.
