Table of Contents
- Why Wear a Mouth Guard Every Night
- Night Guards: What Are They?
- Is It Safe To Wear a Night Guard Every Night?
- Concerns Surrounding Night Guards
- Benefits of Wearing a Night Guard
- Uninterrupted Sleep
- Boosts Confidence
- Protection from Dental Trauma Injuries
- Helps Avoid Costly Dental Trauma Recovery Procedures
- Choosing the Ideal Mouth Guard for Sleep
- Custom vs Generic (Over-the-Counter)
- Features to look out for in a Night Guard
- Night Mouth Guard Maintenance and Care
- Clean your Night Guard Daily
- Keep a Night Guard Secure and Safe
- Replace Night Guard as needed
- Address Important Hidden Problems
- Testimonials and Research Insights
- Wrapping Up
- FAQ
Mouth guards have certainly made a name for themselves when it comes to dental protection, and rightfully so. And while these dental devices are best known for their protective measures, is it safe to wear them during the night? While your teeth won’t be facing the same risk of getting chipped or experiencing a shocking force as during a sporting or physical activity, they are still prone to a dental condition called bruxism. In this blog, we’ll find out what bruxism is and whether or not it is safe to wear a mouth guard at night. Let’s dive in!
Night guards (dental mouth guards) are becoming quite popular among orthodontic solutions. However, these are mainly targeted towards orthodontic patients who suffer from mild to severe bruxism (teeth grinding).
However, night guards are also ideal for improving OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and reducing snoring issues. In this blog, we will be exploring whether it is safe to wear a mouthguard every night. Let’s dig in!
Why Wear a Mouth Guard Every Night
Mouth guards as a whole are considered to be an umbrella term since there are many variations of the product available in the market. And these variations differ enough to justify categorizing them as a whole other product.
Night Guards: What Are They?
If simply stated, night guards are dental devices that are used to ensure the teeth do not suffer from the long-lasting effects of teeth clenching and grinding. They do so by creating a space between the upper and lower teeth. But is teeth grinding the only reason why night guards are used? Let’s find out!
Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
Nighttime teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism) can be due to multiple reasons such as family history, genetics, lifestyle, and much more. As a result, you will frequently feel jaw pain, headaches, or exhaustion despite securing a good night's sleep.
Night guards are custom-made devices that help provide protection from uncontrolled teeth grinding during your sleep. These act as an effective cushion or barrier that keeps your teeth aligned and protects your gums as well.
Treat Snoring Issue
Dental night guards can help keep the airways open by creating a space between your jaws while sleeping. As a result, you get to enjoy a great sleep session all night without disturbing your partner with snoring.
Sports Athletes
Athletes and sports players might use custom night guards during sleep sessions to reduce the frequency of nighttime grinding (bruxism) after a long day’s physical activity. As a result, they get the needed rest to restore energy for their next game session.
Is It Safe To Wear a Night Guard Every Night?
The answer is yes, but it greatly depends on your work routine, lifestyle, fit, budget, and personal preference. Some of the important factors to consider before wearing night guards include:
Custom-Fit
Custom-fit night guards offer a snug fit according to your dental structure. This leads to very little irritation and discomfort as observed in many other dental devices. But the catch here is to ensure your night guards fit you well as any errors in the design can lead to jaw pain, dental discomfort, and many other problems down the road.
Medical Grade Materials
Night-based guards offer superior medical-grade (BPA) free materials that ensure no reaction and long-time usage comfort.
Key to Dental Hygiene
Using dental mouth guards or night guards can help you maintain excellent dental hygiene to reduce chances of dental infections, and bad odors and reduce bacteria development. As a result, you enjoy the best possible dental health as per your unique lifestyle needs.
Concerns Surrounding Night Guards
There can be certain circumstances in which using a night guard might prove to be an inconvenience. These include:
Uncomfortable
In some situations, your dental device might not align with your jaws or teeth position and become the source of irritation or increased grinding.
Risk of Bacterial Build-Up
Due to unchecked hygiene and maintenance, bacteria growth, you might face complications such as bacterial growth. This can result in enamel damage, gum irritation, or even mouth infections in the long run.
Build Quality
Certain night guards are crafted from inferior materials that release chemicals and can often become the cause of dental issues such as jaw infections or sore gums.
Underlying Dental Conditions
Some orthodontic patients often use night guard devices without considering any prior underlying conditions. This can lead to all kinds of dental complications which can increase your medical expenses significantly.
Benefits of Wearing a Night Guard
Uninterrupted Sleep
Using a dental mouth guard (night guard) enables you to enjoy a quality night's sleep without any kind of possible snoring or teeth grinding (bruxism). As a result, you awake very well-rested and without any sore jaws or headaches.
Boosts Confidence
Night guard devices help you secure better sleep at night and ensure that you don’t disturb your partner or roommates. As a result, you feel more confident to tackle any challenges that life throws at you.
Protection from Dental Trauma Injuries
Custom night guard devices guarantee protection from excessive teeth grinding, jaw fractures, and enamel damage. These devices also help orthodontic patients with reducing issues associated with TMJ (temporomandibular) disorder.
Helps Avoid Costly Dental Trauma Recovery Procedures
Tailor-made night guard devices help you avoid all kinds of expensive medical procedures to treat snoring or teeth grinding (bruxism). These include using MPAP machines or sleep consultant solutions.
Choosing the Ideal Mouth Guard for Sleep
It can be quite tough to choose the best night guard for sleep. Certain factors that you need to consider include:
Custom vs Generic (Over-the-Counter)
Custom-crafted night guards offer more comfort and contoured fit and are crafted under the supervision of certified dentists or orthodontists. These offer enhanced comfort in comparison to generic night guards due to state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and quality materials.
In comparison to custom mouth guards, generic mouthguard options are ideal for occasional or mild use cases.
Features to look out for in a Night Guard
You need to consider certain features for custom night guards for securing quality night sleep which include:
- Irritation-free materials (BPA-free, nonallergic)
- Adjustable for long-term usage without compromising effectiveness
- Superior durability to sustain excessive teeth-grinding action
There are many orthodontic brands and dentists that you can order your night guard from. Among those who are redefining the orthodontic marketplace is Aligner32. They offer premium quality and custom night guards at affordable prices unlike any other.
Night Mouth Guard Maintenance and Care
In order to increase the effectiveness and life of your dental mouthpiece, you need to follow certain tips, including:
Clean your Night Guard Daily
You need to effectively and thoroughly wash your night mouthpiece with slightly warm water after every use. Additionally, you can use non-abrasive mild soap or a multi-purpose cleaner.
Keep a Night Guard Secure and Safe
To increase the effectiveness of your nightpiece, you need to keep your bruxism mouth guard in a secure case. Ensure that the protective case is well-hydrated, dust-free, and safe from extreme temperatures.
Replace Night Guard as needed
You should always check for any bad odor or signs of damage to your night guard device. Custom-crafted mouthpieces might last a long time with extra care.
Address Important Hidden Problems
There might be situations where custom night guard devices might not help. Therefore you need to understand the root issue behind your snoring or teeth grinding. Proper understanding can help you understand how to manage your issues without resorting to expensive surgery.
- Practice stress management exercises
- Exercise more and lose weight
- Avoid all kinds of alcoholic beverages
- Adopt healthy diet choices and avoid junk food
Testimonials and Research Insights
According to research study results by NIH, night guards (occlusal splints) can help with bruxism (teeth grinding), headaches, and issues related to TMJ (temporomandibular disorder).
We can take the example of Sarah’s testimonial into consideration for using night guards: “After using a night guard for five months, my sore jaws and headaches are no more, and my partner Alex says that he cannot hear my snoring any longer and can rest easily all night.”
Wrapping Up
Orthodontic night guard devices are perfectly safe to use every night. Especially if they are custom-made, use superior irritation-free materials, and are well maintained. You need to consult with an experienced dentist or dental professional for personalized support and care.
FAQ
Q: Is it bad to wear a mouth guard every night?
A: Not at all. If you suffer from snoring, teeth grinding, or sleep apnea, you can greatly benefit from wearing your night guard every time you sleep. It helps you avoid enamel damage and reduce snoring by improving breathability.
Q: What are the side effects of dental night guards?
A: You might experience certain side effects from wearing night guards which can include
- Sore gums
- Bad odors
- More saliva creating
- Sleep apnea
- Possibility of a misaligned jaw
- Certain biting action changes
Q: Is it bad to wear a night guard without brushing?
A: Yes, it is recommended to wear your night guard after cleaning your teeth every night. You need to keep your night guard device in a well-protected case as leaving it out in the open can lead to bacterial infection or chances of mold growing on it.
