What is a Night Guard?

A Night Guard a device used to prevent teeth grinding. Night Guards are designed to prevent wear and tear on the teeth, from the constant, subconscious grinding that takes place at night while you are asleep.

TMJ disorders are commonly treated with a night guard. Worn at night, this dental appliance positions the jaw in a way that reduces stress on the muscles of the face and neck and protects the enamel surface of the teeth when TMJ disorders include clenching and grinding of the teeth.

If you answer “yes” to any of the following, a night guard might be the best treatment option for you, if you suffer from TMJ Disorders:

How Are Night Guards Made?

Night Guards are custom made specifically for you, using an impression of your top and bottom teeth. We will send these impressions to our dental lab where it is created to fit snugly over your top teeth while you sleep and reposition your lower jaw into a comfortable position.

How to Care for Your Night Guard:

• Make sure your new Night Guard is cleaned with cold water and a toothbrush, before and after each use.
• Always store your Night Guard in the case provided to allow air circulation and to prevent damage.
• Keep your Night Guard away from hot water, direct sunlight, and hot temperatures to prevent distortion of its shape.
• Night Guards will wear throughout its use. If you detect any holes, wear or tears or if it becomes discomforting to wear, please contact us to have it examined.
• Bring your Night Guard to every check-up and cleaning appointment for us to exam it.

When should you wear a sports mouthguard?

Dental injuries are commonly associated with contact sports, such as football, rugby, hockey, and boxing, other dental and mouth injuries may also occur as a result of accidental contact with people or objects during other athletic activities, including skateboarding, basketball, soccer, squash, gymnastics, and Taekwon-Do. In essence, you need to be aware that all sports activities contain some element of risk that could result in a dental injury.

We recommend that anyone who participates in athletic activities should protect their teeth with high quality, proper fitting sports mouthguard. A properly fitted sports mouthguard absorbs the shock of impacts. The mouthguard also protects teeth against potential chips, cracks, fractures, knock-out, and damage. A properly fitted sports mouthguard is an important equipment investment, especially when considering the cost of the potential dental work, such as root canals, crowns, bridges, and even dental implants, required to repair damaged teeth.

What types of sports mouthguards are available?

Mouthguards vary regarding cost, comfort, and effectiveness. An ideal mouth guard is durable, resilient, and comfortable. It should fit properly, be easy to clean, and should not affect your ability to breathe.

Here are the basic categories of sports mouthguards on the market:

• Stock off the shelf mouthguards
• Boil-and-bite sports mouthguards
• Custom-made sports mouthguards, designed and fit by your Dental dentist

Less expensive sports store bought mouthguards can initially make you feel as though you’re protected from impact when in fact their protection is rather limited.

The following are some questions you can ask to help determine if your mouthguard is effective:

• Does the mouthguard offer sufficient protection and thickness in key areas?
• Is the mouthpiece not overly bulky?
• Does it fit comfortably?
• Does it allow for natural breathing?
• Is it tear resistant?
• Does it retain its form?
• Is it odorless and tasteless?