Save your smile with a night guard

There are many benefits to a custom night guard, especially if you clench your jaw, grind your teeth or snore. The comfort of a custom fit night guard allows you to sleep with minimal discomfort whilst protecting your teeth, gums and improving your breathing. Whereas an ‘over the counter’ generic ill fitting night guards create discomfort, and breathing issues.

What are night guards?

Night guards (also known as dental guards or splints) are plastic retainer-like mouth pieces that can be hard or soft, which cover the biting surfaces of the bottom and top teeth. Dental night guards can be beneficial to your oral health for a number of reasons, mainly if you struggle with teeth clenching or grinding and even snoring in some cases.

 

Teeth Clenching and Grinding

Teeth clenching and grinding (also known as bruxism) during sleep places a large amount of pressure on the jaws, and may result in jaw pain, jaw dysfunction, fatigue, headaches, ear aches and neck pain.

More seriously, teeth grinding can cause teeth to become loose, weakened, chipped or broken, making them more susceptible to decay or falling out.

A dental night guard limits and alleviates the painful symptoms of grinding in sleep by putting a barrier between your teeth which helps to ease the tension and support the muscles in the jaw.

Night guards can help you say goodbye to waking up groggy and in pain and say hello to rising properly rested.

Night guards for Snoring

Night guards can also be designed to help stop snoring. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed, sagging tongue muscles and jaw tissues as you breathe.

Specialised night guards can stop snoring by pulling the lower jaw forward slightly, altering the position of the tongue muscles and lower jaw tissues so they are not sagging into the back of the throat and creating a clear airway.

How is a night guard made?

• Firstly, your dentist will take impressions (moulds) of your top and bottom teeth.
• A plaster cast is created from this impression which is essentially a model of your teeth which is then sent to a dental laboratory where they will make the night guard.
• The materials, either soft, dual laminate, or hard acrylic, are shaped around the mould to create the perfect fit for you.
• When the night guard returns from the laboratory (usually in a week) the dentist will try it in and make sure it fits well and is comfortable, and make any adjustments if required.
• They will also explain how to clean and care for the night guard.

 

Want to discuss your situation? You can give us a call on 3343 2100 with any questions that you may have.  If you know you would like to book an appointment then you can book your appointment online or call us to find a convenient time.