How Bruxism Appliance Can Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Grinding your teeth through the night is a silent battle that can slowly ruin your health.

Night grinding, also called ‘bruxism’ in dental language, is the involuntarily rubbing and clenching of teeth while you are asleep. In most cases, one is unaware of it. Eventually, your partner may complain of the grinding sounds that become louder by the day. You may also develop pain in the jaws, sensitive teeth, and headaches after months of night grinding. Bruxism appliances—most commonly the night guard—are by far the most reasonable solution to wean off the habit. However, treating the root causes of bruxism—stress, acid reflux, gum diseases, or tooth misalignment—should be the ideal fix to get sustainable results. Read on to find out how sleeping with a night guard can keep you hale and hearty!

The Real Benefits of Bruxism Appliances

In simple terms, a night guard is a dental prosthesis that will snugly fit on your teeth and block the grinding and clenching forces at night. They are made of transparent resin and are soft and comfortable. You can wear a custom fitted night guard on both jaws or just one of them.

These appliances tend to wear off with time, depending on the intensity of your biting. If you are a bruxer, remember to be regular with your dental appointments in Dundas to prevent the side effects of night grinding.

Here are some of the amazing benefits of sleeping with a night guard:

• Say Hello to Better Sleep: The custom-made night guards in Dundas are soft and super comfy to wear. They block the bite every time you tend to clench and grind. This prevents the annoying grinding sounds at night, the painful pressure on the teeth, and the muscle tension. Thus, you get an undisturbed sleep through the night and wake up feeling happy and full of energy.A night guard may also correct facial muscle imbalances and jaw-joint tensions, eventually helping with sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring. Bruxism appliances can contribute to better sleep patterns for both you and your partner.
• Protects your Teeth: By shielding the excessive biting and grinding pressure, the bruxism splints protect the enamel of your teeth.Bruxers generally have wear facets on their teeth, which eventually lead to complete wear and tear of the tooth structure. This is called attrition, a wasting disease of the tooth enamel that may need a root canal and dental crowns later on. Have you noticed worn-out and blunt teeth in your mouth while brushing? Fret not! Visit the dentist today and find out ways to prevent night grinding.
• Reduces Sensitive Teeth: As night-grinding progresses, attrited teeth lose their protective covering—the enamel—exposing the delicate dentin and the pulp of the tooth. These inner layers are rich in nerves and blood vessels, making the tooth vulnerable to anything that you eat or drink.A sensitive tooth can be a real pain! Be it ice cream or just a tangy lolly, worn-out teeth are painful with hot, cold, sweet, and sour foods. These sensations could linger and sometimes make eating and drinking extremely painful.
• Protects the Jaw Joints: The jaw-joint or TMJ (Temporo-mandibular joint), bears the real brunt of bruxism. Quite similar to your knee joints that get affected due to obesity, the TMJ can get overloaded due to heavy clenching forces.With time, you develop a joint disorder due to overloading called TMD (Temporo-mandibular joint Disease), typically categorized by joint pains, clicking sounds, jaw locks, difficulty in opening the mouth, and headaches.The custom fitted night guard will act like a splint or brace that nullifies the clenching forces, thereby resting the TMJ and reducing the inflammation in the joint. These prosthetic devices are indispensable for TMJ health.
• Relaxes the Facial Muscle: Stress, poor tooth alignment, and gum diseases often make your teeth incapable of bearing the biting load, especially if you are clenching often. With time, a major share of this load gets passed on to the facial muscles, thereby overworking them. An overloaded muscle eventually gets inflamed and strained—and muscle strains on the face can cause headaches and difficulty chewing, talking, laughing, and yawning. Sleeping with a night guard will allow muscle rest and recovery, alleviating these symptoms.
• Prevents Gum Recession: Tooth issues can progress to the surrounding bones and the gums, causing the gums to lose their tone and strength. Loose gums often recede and bleed, escalating tooth sensitivity and pain. Bruxism appliances protect your teeth and gums both, in the long run.
• Saves You From Dental Emergencies: A night guard can nullify clenching forces as high as 250 pounds! Yes, you heard us right. Without the splint, there are high chances of a sudden tooth fracture or a jaw lock that may warrant an emergency dental visit.

Key Takeaway

Bruxism appliances can go a long way toward ensuring a good night’s sleep for all bruxers. Not only that, their preventive nature saves you from complicated, painful, and expensive dental procedures like root canals, tooth extractions, gum surgeries, and TMJ surgery. If you or a loved one has been ignoring night grinding for a while, it’s time you visit our dental clinic in Dundas and get yourself evaluated before the clench becomes a hench for you.