Five Benefits of a Nightguard

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.

Did you find this blog post helpful?  Give us some feedback and also let us know if there are other dental or oral health topics you may be interested in.  

Five Reasons Why Your Child (or You) Should Have A Custom-Fitted Mouth Guard

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends the use of mouth guards in 27 sports/exercise activities. If your kids (or you) are involved in any sort of sports or exercise activity where contact with another player, a ball, or the ground is possible, ask us about having a custom-fitted mouth guard made for them. Here are some reasons why this is so important:

Reduce Injury to Teeth, Mouth and Gums

The American Dental Association (ADA) estimates that athletes who don’t wear mouth guards are 60 times more likely to suffer dental injury than those who do and that “a full third of all dental injuries are sports related.” Properly fitted mouth guards protect the soft tissues of the cheeks, gums and tongue by covering the sharp surfaces of the teeth that can cause lacerations on impact. They also reduce the potential for tooth injury, jaw damage or jaw joint fracture and displacement by cushioning against impact, absorbing and distributing the forces that can cause serious injury.

Reduce Risk of Concussion

The risk of playing sports without a mouth guard aren’t just limited to injuries to the teeth, mouth or gums. According to a study in the peer-reviewed journal, General Dentistry, you may be able to significantly reduce their risk of a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), better known as a concussion with a custom-fitted mouth guard.

Not All Mouth Guards Created Equally

There are three basic categories of mouth guards. Stock mouth guards come in limited sizes; they’re relatively inexpensive, but they provide the least level of protection. “Boil and bite” mouth guards can be customized after purchase to the wearer’s bite, but they don’t always provide complete coverage of back teeth.

Custom mouth guards are designed by Dr. Morrison and made from a unique impression of your child's teeth. They’re more expensive, but provide the highest level of protection from injuries. Our mouth guards are made from the highest quality dental-grade material and provide a comfortable and flawless fit. Because they hug the teeth, they won't fly out when your child falls or is tackled. They are also durable and will offer consistent thickness for shock absorption. 

Custom Mouth Guards More Likely to be Worn

Custom-made mouth guards allow athletes to breathe easy, communicate clearly, and even hydrate with it in place - making it more likely they are worn. Custom-fitted mouth guards are also advised for a child with braces because they won’t interfere with orthodontic treatment.

Cost of Injury vs. Cost of Mouth Guard

A mouth guard properly fitted in our office costs little in comparison to the cost of treatment after a dental injury, or other injury such as a concussion or broken jaw.

As you get your child ready for Summer and Fall sports, consider coming in to have a custom-made and properly fitted mouth guard made for your child to lower the injury risk to their mouth and brain. Find out if your dental insurance will cover the cost of the mouth guard. If you are uninsured, consider our in-office dental savings plan, which provides 15% off the cost of the mouth guard.

If you have questions about mouth guards, or would like to schedule an appointment with us to have an expertly-fitted mouth guard made for your child, contact our office today at 919 755 3450.

Did you find this blog helpful? Let us know in the space below and tell us about other dental topics we can address. We also invite you to share this post with other parents who may be interested.