Millions of Americans are fitted each year with custom mouth guards and night guards to protect the health of their teeth, and yes there is a difference between the two. Mouth guards protect the soft tissues of the tongue, lips and cheek as well as the jaw and teeth during physical activity and sports. Night guards are custom-made for patients who unknowingly grind or clench their teeth at night, otherwise known as bruxism. According to the American Sleep Association, bruxism can disrupt sleep and can lead to tooth decay of the enamel if the problem is not treated by a dentist. About 10% of people suffer from bruxism, but many are unaware. Night guards are needed to protect the teeth from flattening and breaking and to avoid symptoms such as temperature sensitivity, tooth pain, headaches, cracks in the teeth and receding gums. A variety of dental work can be avoided if mouth and night guards are worn properly, keeping your teeth safe and healthy for years to come. If you need a mouth guard for physical activity or believe you might suffer from bruxism, call our Mountain Aire Dentistry office today for your consultation and custom fitting.

Bruxism: Do I Have It?

You may or may not have heard of bruxism before, but you’ve probably known someone who grinds their teeth at night. Bruxism is one and the same—the grinding and clenching of the teeth at night. About 10% of the population does it, but as the majority of people do it at night, it goes unnoticed in millions of Americans. That is, unless, damage is done to the teeth, which often happens and is the way many detect the occurrence of bruxism. Bruxism is believed to be caused by stress and anxiety according to the American Sleep Association, but its occurrence can increase if caffeine or nicotine is consumed before sleeping. About 15% of children have bruxism, meaning that their teeth can be damaged at an early age because of it. Bruxism can sometimes occur during the day, but our patients will notice it and stop clenching or grinding when it happens.

Mouth Guards

During the physical activity (especially where balls or sports equipment are involved) the teeth can be hit, causing lacerations, fractures, the entire loss of a tooth and more. Sports teams are generally outfitted for mouthguards because of the frequency of injuries to the teeth, gums and tongue. You would need a mouthguard to protect yourself against injury if you are active and involved in sports or something equally physical. Even if you are not involved in a sports team, any activity that could cause injury to the mouth is an activity for which you should wear a mouthguard. It is a custom-designed appliance made of flexible plastic. Because it’s custom-made, it should fit your mouth perfectly so that you can be as comfortable as possible when wearing one. You will have a significantly less chance of lacerations, tooth breakage or other injuries when a mouthguard is used. We recommend a mouth guard for all of our patients who are involved in physical activity where the mouth could be hit.

Night Guards

When it comes to night guards, these are given to protect the teeth from injury, flattening and breakage (generally caused by bruxism). Bruxism is the action of grinding the upper and lower teeth together at night, causing them to flatten over time and become more brittle. Generally grinding is also accompanied by clenching the upper and lower jaw together, which can cause jaw pain, frequent daily headaches and fractures to the teeth. If grinding persists over time, other symptoms such as temperature sensitivity and pain can occur because the tooth has been worn down enough to expose the delicate nerves. With more serious tooth injuries (such as a fracture), root canals, extractions, veneers, crowns, bridges or implants may be needed to keep the structure of your teeth and mouth intact. If you have a family member with bruxism, your chance of having it increases by 50%. In this case, it is a smart idea to come see us and be tested for bruxism. That is even if you don’t see any symptoms of it yet! Remember, many people don’t know they have it until damage to the teeth occur. Night guards are needed to protect the teeth from flattening and breaking and to avoid symptoms such as temperature sensitivity, tooth pain, headaches, cracks in the teeth and receding gums.

Guard and Protect Your Mouth

We custom fit our clients for their own personal mouthguard and/or night guard depending on their needs. When it comes to bruxism, we can conduct an examination of your teeth to detect bruxism signs. We may also refer you to a sleep specialist or provide you with special devices to monitor your chewing muscle activity during the night. Frequent headaches or jaw pain are also good indicators of bruxism that we look for.  Any over-the-counter products you can find are one-size-fits-all. If the size doesn’t perfectly fit your mouth, your bruxism symptoms may not improve at all. You could still receive tooth injuries and tissue lacerations during physical activity, as the guard tends to slide around in your mouth instead of fitting snug. It’s best to get a professional custom-made guard to protect your teeth as much as possible.

Millions of Americans sustain injuries during physical activity or from bruxism, but that doesn’t have to be you! Come in to Mountain Aire Dentistry today to be fitted for your custom mouth or night guard. You’ll see your symptoms improve and keep healthy and strong teeth for much longer than you could have without the guard. Call our Mountain Aire Dentistry office at (303) 731-7755 for your free consultation.