Mouth Guards For Grinding Teeth In Your Sleep
Mouth guards can be used for both protection from external trauma and sporting injuries and nighttime grinding and clenching. However, mouthguards are only placed on the upper arch of the mouth and are primarily meant for sporting events. The ideal device will be a night guard if you suffer from nighttime grinding and clenching.
Nightguards are similar to mouth guards — both protect your teeth from damage and external trauma. Both can be used for sporting events and nighttime grinding and bruxism. However, night guards are specifically designed for people who suffer from bruxism, teeth clenching, loud snoring, and sleep apnea.
Nightguards are plastic devices that protect both your upper and lower teeth. Teeth grinding and clenching are common during sleep or even during the day. You may unconsciously be clenching your teeth through stressful situations or other factors that induce anxiety. Treating the root cause of bruxism is difficult because it’s often caused by psychological reasons, which is why night guards serve as a quick solution to prevent tooth wear and damage.
If you continue grinding your teeth too often, it may lead to issues like cracks, fractures, cavities, and severe tooth wear. Over time, these issues can spread, and you may need root canal treatment, or you may need to extract teeth from their root, both of which are extremely painful and expensive procedures. Besides these extreme issues, you will also suffer from toothaches, tooth sensitivity, changed bites, and many other problems.
However, with night guards, you can put an end to all of those problems. If you already have a dental mouth guard, you may continue using them, as both serve similar purposes. However, if you suffer from severe grinding and bruxism, it’s better to get a nightguard — one specifically meant for that problem. A mouthguard may work, but it won’t be nearly as efficient as a nightguard.