Night Guards And Why Do You Need To Wear Them?

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Do you mostly clench your teeth at night? Has your healthcare provider told you that you need to wear a night guard? It can happen due to bruxism- a condition in which you clench your teeth involuntarily. Often it happens due to stress and mental tension. When you clench your teeth, they can get damaged. And since you do that involuntarily, you can not control them on your own. Therefore, to prevent your teeth from being damaged, your healthcare providers will advise you to wear a nightguard.

If you clench your teeth at night, you must visit the healthcare provider. So they can design a night guard for you, and the damage to your teeth can be prevented. Do not delay the visit as clenching your jaw can lead to tooth damage. To get an expert opinion, you should visit the Best Dentist in Lahore.

Before we tell you anything else, you should know what nightguards are.

Table of Contents

What Is A Night Guard?

A night guard is a piece of plastic that can be of two types, either soft or hard. Moreover, you may have to wear it on the top or the bottom. It prevents you from clenching your teeth, and even when you do that, it would not hurt your teeth.

Every person has a different pattern of teeth. Therefore, the healthcare provider would customize it for everyone. If you want to get one, you would have to attend a visit with your healthcare provider. In that setting, they will take measurements of your oral cavity and design the one that fits you best.

When you go to the healthcare provider to receive your night guard, make sure to check it. Sometimes you may need to get an alteration. Your healthcare provider will ask whether it is comfortable and sits well in your oral cavity.

What Are The Benefits Of A Night Guard?

The benefits of wearing a nightguard are:

Protects Your Teeth

If you have bruxism, you clench your teeth involuntarily at night. It can damage your teeth. But when you wear a nightguard, your teeth are protected from damage. Therefore if you have the same condition, make sure to wear a nightguard every night. Many people do not take it seriously. But if you do not wear it, your teeth can get damaged.

Prevents Jaw Pain

When you keep gnashing your jaw, you may wake up with jaw pain or a limited range of motion of the jaw. To prevent it, you should make a habit of wearing a nightguard. It prevents clenching of teeth, hence jaw pain is also reduced.

Prevents Headache

Have you ever woken up to a headache because of bruxism? When you keep clenching your teeth at night or even in the daytime, the complaint of headache is quite common. However, when you wear a nightguard, it can help prevent headaches by keeping teeth clenching at the bay.

If you have a complaint of headache with teeth clenching, you must visit the healthcare provider soon.

Better Sleep

Often when you clench your teeth at night, your sleep is interrupted. With a nightguard, you can sleep well. Even some people with bruxism feel it difficult to fall asleep due to jaw pain and muscle aches. However, this problem can be resolved by wearing a nightguard. So make it a routine.

Moreover, when you clench your teeth, you make a sound that may affect your partner’s sleep. However, when you wear a nightguard, this may not happen.

The Bottom Line

Wearing a nightguard is essential. If you clench your teeth at night it can damage them. Therefore, you should visit the healthcare provider to get a night guard custom for you. To get an expert opinion, you can visit Dr. Naseer Ahmed Malik Dentist.