If you suffer from nightly jaw clenching, tooth grinding, a
condition called bruxism, or tempomandibular disorder, called TMD, you know
how uncomfortable the side effects can be.
You may regularly wake up with
headaches, jaw or facial pain, notice your teeth are wearing down, or
experience disrupted sleep patterns. Fortunately there is a simple solution that
can dramatically change your life - being fitted for a nightguard. Whatever your reason for wearing a night
guard, consistent use of it offers five key advantages.
It Protects your Teeth from Wear
Although not all wear and tear on the teeth happens at
night, a lot of it can. The nightly
habit of unconsciously grinding and clenching your jaw can lead to chipped
teeth, damaged fillings and excessive wear on the teeth. Having the protection of a thin piece of plastic covering the
occlusal surfaces of your teeth is kinder to them and when plastic meets tooth,
it is the plastic that tends to wear - not the tooth surface.
Alleviate Pain & Headaches
Unfortunately, there are a host of discomforts that
accompany bruxism and TMD. Patients often complain of a sore or tender
jaw, morning headaches, ear aches, neck pain, sensitive teeth, muscle fatigue, facial
pain and spasms. A properly designed night guard will have a well
adjusted, aligned and balanced bite which can "shutdown" the muscles in
your jaw and allows them a night time rest. Many patients report their facial and
jaw muscles are more relaxed when they wake up and that they no longer have
headaches, jaw pain or other symptoms.
Keep Your Teeth in Place
Although teeth appear stationary, they are not. The nightguard functions like an orthodontic retainer and wearing it nightly will keep your teeth in place and will not allow them to "drift". This can be especially important for older patients. The night guard acts like a splint and keeps teeth that have experienced bone loss from developing excessive mobility, which can help prevent tooth loss.Improve Your Sleep Patterns
Nightguards provide maximum comfort while minimizing your
symptoms, which ends up drastically improving your sleep patterns. The nightguard positions your jaw in such a way that facilitates muscle relaxation, and
by keeping these muscles relaxed, you can avoid the stress-filled, interrupted sleep that often accompanies bruxism and TMD. Interrupted or
impaired sleep can wreak havoc with your mood and energy levels, and can also
increase your risk of heart disease, prevent you from losing weight, and raise your blood pressure.
Money Saving in the Long-Term
The tooth damage caused by the unconscious nightly grinding
and clenching of your teeth and jaw tends to be quite costly. Perhaps the
greatest downside of teeth clenching is that it slowly but surely destroys your
teeth over the years. When this happens, the restorative dental treatments
required for both aesthetic and functional purposes are an expensive
investment. Just as important, nightguards may help you
have the uninterrupted, restorative sleep we need to function at our best, and
maintain the best possible health.
Nightguards are comfortable, practical, and affordable - and the benefits can be immediate. Many patients report a restful night of sleep, and that their pain has disappeared, after wearing their nightguard for just one night. At
Jeff M. Morrison & Associates, getting your own nightguard is
a simple process and typically is done with just two visits, one to
create a custom mold of your teeth, and another to test the fitting. The advantages of wearing a
nightguard are too great to ignore. If you think a nightguard might be right
for you, contact Jeff M. Morrison & Associates and start protecting your teeth today.
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