A nightguard is a mouth guard used overnight to protect your teeth, jawbones and jaw joints from the wear and tear from nighttime grinding and clenching. The official name for these habits is called “bruxism,” and it affects many more people than you would think. Bruxism is considered a sleep movement disorder. A nightguard is a transparent oral appliance that is made to fit your teeth. It may cover all or a portion of your teeth, depending on the type. They can also be fabricated to be worn on the top or bottom.
How a Nightguard Works
A nightguard won’t stop you from clenching or grinding your teeth, but it will reduce and alleviate the burden your teeth and jaw take. The night guard will act as a cushion to disperse the pressure from clenching throughout the nightguard. Instead of your teeth getting worn down from tooth on tooth contact, the wear will be on the nightguard.
Signs and Symptoms of Clenching and Grinding
Tooth wear on the biting surfaces which may also consist of chips and fractures
Worn down tooth enamel, which is the outer layer of the teeth
Increased tooth sensitivity
Sore jaw muscles and jaw joints
Headaches, neck aches
Sleep disruption
Benefits of a Nightguard
Wearing a nightguard each night prevents the common signs and symptoms of clenching and grinding. Other benefits include fewer headaches and neck aches, preserving the health of the teeth (no chipping, fractures, or wear) and preventing issues with the temporomandibular joint.
Children and Grinding
It is common for children to grind their teeth at night. The grinding can make a tooth on tooth noise that can be startling to hear. Typically, children grow out of grinding their teeth around the time they get most of their adult teeth, so usually, there will be no implications for the health of those teeth. Nightguards can be made for kids, but because their mouths are growing and changing, the nightguard could be obsolete after some time.