Do I Really Need A Dental Night Guard? Is It Worth It?

Many people get told by their dentist they may need to wear a night guard when they sleep. However, the prospects of it aren't exactly appealing, for many different reasons.

From it being uncomfortable and strange at first to issues with intimacy, wearing a night guard may be something you’d like to avoid. So you’re likely wondering: is it really necessary? Keep reading to find out the truth!
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Why Do Dentists Prescribe a Night Guard for Sleeping?

Night guards are recommended in most cases to help a patient stop grinding their teeth while they sleep. If when you’re awake you might be more in control of the process, during sleep your teeth grinding can go uninterrupted, and, over time, this will affect your overall dental health.

Night guards offer protection for your tooth enamel as it prevents the teeth from physically grinding against each other. As you wear the night guard, you can experience a variety of different benefits, such as:

• Less jaw pain and soreness in the morning
• Preventing snoring
• Sleep quality improvement
• No more headaches caused by tooth grinding
• Preventing tooth damage
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What Is the Process for Getting a Night Guard?

If the dentist near you recommends a night guard, there are 3 main steps until you will receive it:

• Taking an impression of your teeth - Night guards are custom-made for you to ensure they are comfortable and allow you to sleep. The dentist will take an impression of your upper and lower teeth and send it t the lab to manufacture the night guard;

• Testing - While some mouth guards can be delivered directly to your home, a lot of the time the dentist will ask you to come and for a fitting, just to make sure the night guard fits properly in your mouth;

• Improvements, if necessary - If the night guard isn’t fit properly, it will be sent back to the lab for more adjustments. This can take a few days or even weeks, and you will be asked to go back for a fitting to make sure the night guard fits you like a glove.
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Is a Night Guard Really Necessary?

In most cases, yes. Night guards offer your teeth protection against the effects of tooth grinding. However, they do not necessarily fix the problem.

Tooth grinding can be caused by a variety of issues, such as stress, sleep apnea, missing teeth, or even an abnormal bite. It’s important to identify the cause of the grinding and get the proper treatment to ensure the tooth grinding does not continue.
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Are You Grinding Your Teeth at Night? We Can Help!

If you’re grinding your teeth at night and are experiencing pain and soreness, BayBreeze Dental can help you get custom-made night guards that will alleviate your discomfort!

To get started, please book a consultation with Dr. Ronak Parikh, or call us at (813) 377-1822.