The pain caused by bruxism and TMJ can often lead to discomfort during sleep. Ultimately, this affect your quality of sleep. A night guard allows the muscles surrounding the jaw to relax, lending to an overall feeling of relief. It gives you the chance to enjoy a more peaceful and stress-free sleep.
Do night guards help you sleep better?
Improved quality of sleep: Since night guards help decrease the amount of pain you feel when grinding your teeth, they inherently improve your sleeping patterns as well. When the muscles in your mouth are tense, you are far more likely to be tense when you sleep. Night guards work to eliminate that problem.
Why do people sleep with night guards?
If worn at night, it traps bacteria on the gum’s surface while you sleep since saliva can’t get to the gums while wearing a sports mouth guard. Saliva helps to neutralize acids that can cause cavities and washes away food particles hence preventing plaque development.
Is it safe to wear a mouth guard to bed?
Unfortunately, it also traps bacteria against the surface of your gums while you sleep. It’s fine to cover your gums for an hour or two but not 8 hours a night, 7 nights a week. That’s why you can wear your sports mouth guard for a game or practice, but not while you sleep.
How long does it take to get used to sleeping with a mouth guard?
It is uncomfortable:
Sticking a hard piece of plastic in your mouth is unnatural and new. It takes time to make an adjustment, remember two weeks on average for most people to get used to it.
How long does it take for a night guard to work?
It often takes patients a few weeks to become accustomed to wearing a night guard. Placing it in the mouth about 10 minutes before going to bed is recommended, as this allows one to get used to the feeling of the dental device.
Do night guards really help?
Night guards can protect the teeth from significant damage, and may be a recommended treatment for bruxism. However, those who grind or clench the teeth at night should be screened for sleep apnea before being fitted for a night guard.
Is a top or bottom night guard better?
Upper guards are typically recommended because they don’t remove easily compared to lower teeth nightguard. Dentists favor lower guards because they are often more comfortable and easier to get used to. The ideal night guard should protect all your teeth while not affecting your natural bite.
Can night guards straighten teeth?
“You cannot straighten teeth with a mouthguard,” Jeffery Schaefer, DDS, MSD, an orthodontist in San Diego, explains to WebMD Connect to Care. According to Schaefer, even if a mouthguard is custom-made, its purpose is not to straighten teeth, but to protect them from teeth grinding, jaw clenching, or trauma.
Can you choke on a mouthguard while sleeping?
Is It Possible To Swallow A Mouth Guard While Sleeping? The most critical side effects of dental mouth guards are bite changes, untreated sleep apnea, and tooth movement. So if you are wondering if it is possible to swallow a dental mouth guard while sleeping, the answer is ‘no.
Can you breathe with a mouth guard?
Wear the right mouth guard – To prevent dental injury during sports activities you should wear a mouth guard. Custom fit mouthguards like the NextGen Aero Guard allow you to breathe naturally, without obstruction.
Can you drink water with a night guard in?
Do not eat or drink (except water) with your guard in. Be sure you floss and brush thoroughly prior to placement as food and bacteria can become trapped between your teeth and guard and increase your risk of decay an stain the guard.