Bruxism is a condition in which people involuntarily grind their teeth or clench their jaw. This causes a lot of tension in their jaw and mouth which leads to several problems. Continuous teeth grinding can cause wear and tear of the enamel, initiate jaw pain, wearing down the teeth or lead to the irritation of your gums. Wearing a night guard does not stop your teeth from grinding but provides with a soft surface so that your teeth cause the protective cushion to wear down instead of teeth.
Wearing a night guard is the traditional and best way to treat people with bruxism alongside its usage for various other benefits. It is also worn for the reduction of jaw pain, stopping lockjaw or in order to perform a TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) therapy.
The top 6 benefits of wearing night guard are:
- Tooth damage prevention: Night guards are very vital in preventing damage to your tooth. Some people have a habit of grinding their teeth at night in their sleep which can lead to chipped teeth and wearing down of the enamel. Wearing a night guard safeguards your smile.
- Prevention of headaches: People with temporomandibular joint disorders face traumatizing headaches. Wearing a night guard decreases the occurrence of such headaches and pains. In fact, many people have reported that after they have started wearing a night guard, the headaches and associated neck pains have decreased or even completely went away.
- Prevention of snoring: When you snore, your significant other might face problems in sleeping. Jaw problems affect the muscles and can cause breathing problems when you sleep, leading to snoring. Night guards can be designed to increase the space between the jaws slightly for ease of air intake, improving the breathing when sleeping.
- Reducing the tension in your jaws: Night guards can be designed to meet your specific needs and are lightweight and comfortable. This decreases wear and tear of your teeth, allowing you to comfortably speak, laugh or carry out any action requiring the motion of the jaws.
- Improving sleep patterns: Night guards play a very important role in maximizing your comfort while minimizing symptoms. This leads to a drastic improvement in your sleep patterns. Night guards facilitate relaxation of the muscles. When these muscles stay relaxed, a stressful sleep can be avoided successfully.
- Long-term money saving: The worst thing about bruxism is that because of the constant grinding of teeth and clenching of the jaws it will slowly but definitely cause some serious damage to the teeth and jaws. The restorative dental treatments to treat a damaged tooth can cause quite a dent to your pocket and a night guard can help prevent that.
Night guards are an old method but still the most effective in treating the various dental problems facing an individual. TMD or TMJ, snoring, tooth damage and various others problems can be prevented and minimized to a significant extent by the usage of this miraculous device.