Dental Appliances

& TMJ Treatment Mississauga

Night Guard – For Teeth Grinding (BRUXING) at Night

There may be some mornings that you wake up and find that you have a headache, or your jaw is REALLY sore OR your teeth are sensitive or even loose! These are classic signs that you have been busy grinding or clenching your teeth during the entire night. Over time you will notice that your teeth are shorter than they used to be, especially your front lower teeth and upper teeth. 

Unfortunately, this is common in 1 out of 10 adults and if you are noticing any of these signs then it is about time to consider a night guard.

A night guard provides many benefits:

• Forms a layer of protection/ shock absorption between your upper and lower teeth
• Provides a softer -but firm cushion that wears down over time, instead of your teeth wearing down
• Takes the stress of your jaw and provides a different position for it to rest which is really therapeutic for your TMJ muscles
• Provides full support for your jaw because it is custom especially for your beautiful smile
  
  

Stress is a large factor in teeth clenching and grinding, but this doesn’t always happen at night. Some people will unknowingly do so while they are driving (road rage), working out or lifting weights, or even while at work. In this case, they may need a grinding guard for day time use. This is called a GELB appliance and we can custom make one just for you.

What If I Don’t Get A Night Guard (BRUXISM APPLIANCE), What Will Happen?

The purpose of night guards is preventative so you can avoid chipping or fracturing your teeth. Fracturing your teeth can lead to extensive dental work, root canal treatment or in severe cases even loss of your teeth!

A night guard stops the attrition of your teeth which can be perceived as premature aging. If you don’t wear a night guard, you may be putting yourself at risk for more extensive restorative dentistry down the road.

Examples of teeth that go untreated:

How Can You Help Prevent Teeth Grinding/Bruxing ?

In addition to wearing a night guard (which can in some case break the habit of clenching/grinding) , we also recommend lifestyle improvements to help decrease your stress levels like exercising, meditation, yoga and more. Reducing your smoking and alcohol consumption is also helpful because they have been identified as risk factors to teeth grinding as well

 How Much Does a Custom Fitted Night Guard Cost?

Custom made night guards are only available through your dental professional. Since they are preventative nature, they are often a benefit covered by most insurance plans. To determine coverage please don’t hesitate to ask our reception team for an estimate. Regardless of the presence or absence of dental insurance, not only will a night guard appliance improve your quality of sleep, decrease your headaches and it may deter more expensive dentistry in the future, which is far more expensive!!