Night Guards

Night Guards

What Are Dental Night Guards?

Dental night guards in Brooklyn, NY, are dental appliances made of acrylic or thermoplastic. They are used to cover your upper and lower teeth to protect them from unconscious dental habits such as grinding and clenching your teeth while sleeping and sometimes even unconsciously while you’re awake.

Why You Might Need to Wear a Night Guard

Grinding or clenching your teeth while sleeping is called bruxism. Dental night guards will protect your teeth from the damage caused by bruxism. Bruxism is caused by factors such as anxiety, stress, sleep apnea, snoring, and taking certain medications like antidepressants.

What Does a Night Guard Do?

You can reduce or eliminate the following conditions by stopping the effects of teeth grinding (bruxism).

• Morning headaches.
• Broken, chipped, or cracked teeth.
• Loose teeth or flattened teeth.
• Sore jaw or throat.
• Tooth sensitivity and toothaches.
• Worn tooth enamel.
• Daytime sleepiness.
• Jaw damage.
• TMJ.

If you are proactive in preventing teeth grinding by wearing custom-made night guards, it will save you a significant amount of money correcting the damage caused by bruxism.

Why Professionally Crafted Night Guards Are So Important

When you go to your dentist in Brooklyn, NY, and they recommend you get night guards to protect your teeth, they are not just trying to sell you night guards. There is a reason your dentist is so adamant about you getting custom-made night guards instead of opting for an over-the-counter product.

Typically, the over-the-counter night guards won’t fit properly because they are not based on the exact structure of your mouth and teeth. When that happens, it significantly raises the chances of them damaging and moving your teeth out of their proper position, like clear dental aligners do. Not to mention, they frequently fall out.

How Should a Night Guard Fit?

Your night guards should fit snugly. Most people think if they are snug, they don’t fit, but that’s simply not the case.

Here are a few indications your night guard is fitted properly.

• It pops easily into place.
• It fits snugly.
• You won’t need to use your jaw to keep it in place.
• It fits like a glove.
• It feels like it’s holding your teeth in place without putting too much pressure on them.
• They don’t cause your teeth to feel achy or extremely sore.

During the first few days (and sometimes weeks), your teeth will be slightly sore after wearing your new night guards. However, they will start to become more comfortable after wearing them regularly. This is because your muscles will relax once they adjust to your night guards being in place. After that, if they cause your teeth to ache or are extremely sore, that’s an indication they don’t fit properly, and you should see the dentist immediately.

The Pros and Cons of Wearing Night Guards

Just like anything else, there are pros and cons when it comes to wearing night guards.

PROS:

• Protects Your Teeth from Damage

If you grind or clench your teeth, wearing night guards is the single best thing you can do to protect your teeth, mouth, and jaws from damage and expensive corrective dental procedures.

• Prevents Tooth Enamel Erosion

Grinding and clenching your teeth wears down and thins your tooth enamel. Eroded tooth enamel can lead to tooth sensitivity and other dental issues.

• It’s Easy to Breathe

Night guards separate your upper and lower jaws from each other, keeping your airways open and making it easier for you to breathe.

• They Are Comfortable

Professionally fitted night guards ensure they will be comfortable. In fact, they will help you avoid discomfort because they prevent the teeth from grinding, which is what is causing all that pain to begin with.

CONS:

• Can Be Uncomfortable

Yes, we just said night guards are comfortable. But that’s only if you have them professionally crafted and fitted. If you are using over-the-counter night guards, they are typically uncomfortable and frequently fall out.

• Takes Time for Your Mouth to Adjust to Them

Your night guards will become comfortable after your mouth adjusts to wearing them. That could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. But they will, at some point, be comfortable. You just have to be patient.

• Takes Time for Custom Crafting

Your new night guards must be custom-made. Therefore, you might have to wait up to a few weeks for them to arrive. That is a small price to pay when it comes to protecting your teeth from damage.

What Is the Difference Between Night Guards and Mouth Guards?

Night guards and mouth guards are similar in some respects but very different in others.

• Night Guards

Night guards are specifically designed to protect your teeth from the damage caused by teeth grinding. They don’t touch your gums. This design is to help keep them from rubbing or pinching against your gums, causing inflammation and/or soreness.

• Mouth Guards

Mouth guards, on the other hand, are specifically designed to reduce and prevent injury to your lips, teeth, and gums. If you play sports, it’s extremely important to wear a custom mouth guard, not the store-bought kind.

Interestingly enough, studies show that when playing football, you are twice as likely to suffer mild traumatic brain injuries when not wearing a sports mouth guard that has been custom-made and properly fitted.

So, to sum it up, night guards are designed to protect your teeth from clenching and grinding while you’re sleeping (and while you’re awake). And mouth guards are designed to protect your lips, gums, and teeth while playing high-impact sports and activities.

Are You Looking for a Reputable Dentist in Brooklyn, NY?

If you want to talk with one of our dentists about a custom night guard, please Contact Sconzo & Sciascia General, Cosmetic, and Family Dentistry today. A custom-made night guard will protect your teeth from costly dental work and ensure you don’t cause damage to your jaws and teeth from wearing a night guard that isn’t crafted specifically for you.