NIGHT GUARDS

If you commonly wake up in the morning with jaw pain, have difficulty opening and closing your mouth, or have noticed sensitivity in your teeth, you could be grinding your teeth at night (also known as bruxing).

Left uncontrolled, this can damage your jaw, your teeth and your ability to eat properly. You don’t have to live with that pain or risk extra damage to your body. Here at Beechgrove Family Dental, we offer tailor-made mouth guards to help you protect your teeth against grinding.

A night guard is a plastic covering that goes over your teeth, protecting them against grinding while you sleep. This will keep your teeth healthier for longer and protect your jaw from all of the stress of grinding. It will also preserve your dental work.

We will take an impression of your teeth during your first visit, and then get a custom-fit guard for you as quickly as possible. We will then adjust it to your bite and show you how to use it. We can even provide one for sports or other rigorous activities.

Why do we grind our teeth?

Medical science is still searching for the exact reasons behind teeth grinding. Theories include genetic, biological, and lifestyle factors. There are some correlations between certain behaviors and teeth grinding. There could be a number of reasons why it occurs, but the most common are:

• Stress and anxiety – if you have too much on your mind, it could lead to extra tension during your sleep that will cause you to grind your teeth.
• Too much caffeine – consuming large amounts of caffeine can lead to extra pent-up energy that gets released by grinding.
• Medications – some prescription medications have been shown to correlate with teeth grinding.
• Smoking and alcohol – too much of either has been shown to increase the likelihood of teeth grinding.

Whatever the reason for it, grinding your teeth is not a good thing. It can cause long-term jaw and bone damage as well as cause pain and other issues with your teeth. We can help you protect your smile and oral health with night guards.

Contact us today to find out more about these helpful, custom-made protective coverings.