Nightguards
If you experience pain while opening or closing your mouth, it could be a sign of a TMJ disorder. TMJ problems occur as a result of bruxism, clenching, or sudden trauma. Bruxism is one of the most common causes that can not only impact your teeth & temporomandibular joint but the muscles and ligaments surrounding them.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is involuntary or unconscious grinding of teeth that you might do when you are asleep, it exerts huge forces on teeth, periodontium, and TMJ during sleeping hours. If bruxism is left untreated, it can lead to headaches, earaches, teeth damage, and breakage of dental restorations
What Are Nightguards?
Nightguards are also called occlusal bite guards, or bruxism appliances. They are occlusal splints worn at night to manage patients with bruxism, they cover the occlusal surfaces of maxillary & mandibular teeth, and they are fabricated to guide the mandibular movements, thus reducing the consequences associated with bruxism.
What are the types of Nightguards?
Nightguards are usually made of hard and/or soft resin materials, they could vary in size & shape according to the patient’s clinical situation. They could be fabricated at the dental office or with the assistance of dental laboratories. Hard-resin nightguards are more effective in reducing clenching or bruxism when they are compared to soft-resin nightguards, making them the first choice for many patients
What are the benefits of Nightguards?
Reducing pain associated with grinding teeth
Getting your nightguard placed significantly reduces the forces exerted on your TMJ & surrounding structures, which decreases pain around your ear while opening or closing your mouth
Prevent mechanical wear of your teeth
Continuous grinding of your teeth can lead to wear of the opposing teeth, making you more liable to develop tooth decay.
Preserve your periodontium
Nightguards help you better manage the forces applied to the periodontium & tissues supporting your teeth, thus preserving the health of your gums.
Prevent clicking sounds with TMJ
Many patients with bruxism suffer from clicking sounds while opening their mouth or even during sleep, which impacts their quality of life. Nightguards are the best option to get a normal TMJ function with no sleeping disturbances
Have a normal mouth opening after getting your nightguard.
Be a good fit for many dental treatments like implants & veneers.
Why should you get your nightguard done by a properly trained dentist?
When you get your nightguard done at the dental office, the dentist takes an accurate 3D scan of your entire mouth; details allowing you to get a customized nightguard that better fits your teeth. On the other hand, OTC nightguards are fabricated for a group of patients, so they might not fit well with you. At the dental office, your dentist also sets up a proper treatment plan to manage bruxism according to your own problems. For example, if you have a high dental restoration, occlusal adjustments could be done to resolve the problem. Some medications might also be prescribed for certain cases along with the treatment plan.
Resources
1- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482466/
2- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3081266/
