Hi, my name is Dr. Olga Degtyareva. Here at Always Beautiful Smile, we get a lot of questions about night guards, when they're used, and what they're for. So, I'm here to answer some of the most popular questions.
Let's talk about night guards and what do they do and how do they protect the teeth?
A night guard is going to be a custom-made piece of plastic that's a few millimeters thick that you wear overnight. Your job is to wear this every single night because what it does is, when you bite down and bite your teeth together, your teeth are going to be protected by that layer of plastic. If you're clenching or grinding your teeth at night, it doesn't necessarily stop the act of grinding, but it does help stop the damage you're doing to your teeth. Now, instead of going tooth to tooth, you're going tooth to plastic, and the plastic is what's going to help protect the teeth.
What about TMJ? Can a night guard be used for TMJ?
TMJ is actually your temporal mandibular joint, the jaw joint. There's a fair amount of people who have pain, discomfort, or popping and clicking in the jaw joint. How does a night guard help with that? When you wear a night guard, because it has some thickness to it, you can't clench your teeth all the way down together. Your teeth are separated by that couple of millimeters of thickness of the night guard. When the teeth are separated, it helps to put the jaw joint into a more relaxed position. Overnight, your jaw joint is in a more relaxed position, and you should wake up with less jaw tenderness, less pain, fewer problems with muscle aches, and fewer headaches. It should help. Is it a cure-all for everybody? No, but if you have some problems with the jaw joint, that's where I would start. I would call that step one.
What is a sleep apnea night guard and how does that differ from a traditional night guard?
A traditional night guard is just a custom-fitted piece of plastic that you wear overnight. It does nothing other than protect your teeth and prevent you from biting all the way down, and it helps to relax the jaw joint a little bit. A sleep apnea guard, on the other hand, moves the lower jaw forward overnight. With sleep apnea, the tongue falls back and blocks your airway. By moving the lower jaw forward, since the tongue is attached to the lower jaw, it stops the tongue from blocking the airway and falling back. The fits are very different because a regular night guard usually just sits on either the upper jaw or the lower jaw. A sleep apnea night guard has to sit on both; it's going to cover the top teeth, cover the lower teeth, and also have that additional movement where it moves the lower jaw forward so the tongue doesn't fall back and you can breathe at night. That's the big difference between the two.
What do you do if your night guard is uncomfortable, it doesn't fit right, or you can't sleep with it?
You come back. If it's too tight and needs an adjustment, we can adjust it. If it doesn't fit right and you need a new one, we can make you a new one. Either way, we need to see what's going on. If you have one, bring it in, let us take a look. If we can help, we can help, and if not, then you just need a new one, and we've got you for that.
Night Guards
Welcome to Always Beautiful Smile, your premier dental service provider for Night Guards in Brooklyn, NY. Our experienced team of dental professionals is dedicated to helping you achieve optimal oral health and providing effective solutions for teeth grinding and clenching.
What is Night Guards
Night Guards are custom-made oral appliances designed to protect your teeth and jaw from the harmful effects of bruxism (teeth grinding) and clenching during sleep. Our skilled professionals utilize state-of-the-art technology and materials to create comfortable and durable night guards tailored to your unique needs.
Teeth Protection
Night Guards create a protective barrier that cushions your teeth and prevents excessive wear caused by grinding and clenching, preserving your natural teeth.
Jaw Joint Relief
Night Guards help alleviate pressure on the jaw joint (TMJ), reducing discomfort, headaches, and potential jaw-related issues.
Restful Sleep
By minimizing the impact of teeth grinding and clenching, Night Guards promote better sleep quality, allowing you to wake up feeling more refreshed and rejuvenated.
At Always Beautiful Smile, we understand the importance of providing effective solutions for teeth grinding and clenching. Our team of professionals is committed to delivering exceptional Night Guards services to improve your oral health and overall well-being.
How We Can Help
We offer personalized Night Guards that are custom-fit to your unique bite and mouth structure. Our experienced dentists will conduct a comprehensive examination to determine the severity of your bruxism and create a Night Guard that provides optimal protection and comfort.
- Customized Comfort
- Preventative Dental Care
- Long-Term Investment
- Easy to Use and Maintain
- Improved Quality of Life
Schedule your appointment today. Call us now! (440) 659-1455