Reasons to Wear a Night Guard

Do you grind your teeth as you sleep? If you suffer from bruxism, you can benefit from wearing a night guard. There are several reasons why people choose to wear a night guard. The guard helps reduce jaw pain associated with clenching the jaw. 

It also helps protect the teeth from wear caused by the grinding. It can help prevent popping or clicking of the jaw. Using a night guard consistently can help reduce symptoms of TMJ dysfunction. Here are some reasons to wear a night guard. 

Reduce Jaw Tension and Pain

The best night guards have a great design and are lightweight, practical, and comfortable. They reduce stress on the jaw muscles and joints. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) undergoes tension, and the joint becomes misaligned. 

Wearing a night guard helps reduce jaw tension, wear, and tear. The guard is made for your teeth, fitting comfortably in the mouth. Stress on the jaw muscles and joints decreases, allowing the jaw to relax.

Preventing Headaches

If you often wake up with headaches, chances are you grind your teeth or clench your jaw as you sleep. Excessive clenching and grinding can cause jaw ache, muscle fatigue, earache, and neck pain. Wearing a customized night guard can reduce temporal headaches and other discomforts. The night guard helps reduce neck pain that usually accompanies headaches. 

Preventing Tooth Damage

The nightly clenching and grinding of the teeth can lead to tooth damage. The continuous action causes the tooth surface to wear down. It can result in chipped or broken teeth, excessive enamel wear, and damaged dental fillings. 

A night guard can give you comfort while enhancing the quality of your perfect smile. Wearing it will help keep the top and bottom teeth from coming into contact as you sleep. 

Improving Quality of Sleep

A common symptom of TMD and bruxism is interrupted sleep patterns. Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can affect the quality of your sleep. A night guard can provide comfort and reduce symptoms, improving sleep quality. 

The guard helps position the jaw correctly, facilitating muscle relaxation. When the muscles are relaxed, you can enjoy your sleep without dealing with the symptoms of TMD. 

Prevents Snoring

Your snoring may not be bothering you, but your partner will certainly have something to say about that. A good way to stop your snoring is by wearing a night guard. A clenched jaw can create breathing issues, and failing to breathe well can lead to snoring. 

A night guard will keep your top jaw and bottom jaw from coming into contact. Keeping the jaws apart helps increase the amount of air you breathe while you sleep. Increased airflow improves breathing and reduces snoring. 

Wearing a night guard can save money in the long term. Tooth damage can result in costly dental procedures. Clenching your teeth will slowly degrade the tooth surface, creating dental issues. Jaw tension leads to many oral issues that may require extensive dental treatment. Eventually, you will need restorative dental treatment. 

For more on wearing night guards, visit Above & Beyond Dental at our office in Bedford, Texas. You can call (817) 571-1667 today to schedule an appointment.