The dentist will usually begin treatment for bruxism by recommending a night guard. The device protects the teeth from the harmful effects of bruxism while reducing the risk of injuries to the lip, jaw, tongue and gums. Nowadays, patients can choose to get over-the-counter night guards or professionally made devices.
Getting a night guard from the dentist might be the more expensive option, but this choice comes with benefits, including the following:
Over-the-counter night guards are usually created with soft plastic material. The user will heat them to make them malleable and bite into them to make them fit. The issue is that the OTC bite guard hardly fits properly because it is created to fit different jaw and mouth shapes. Although the plastic material used is usually thickness, many patients often find them too thick to sleep with conveniently.
A professionally-made night guard is custom-fitted for the patient’s teeth. When making the device, the dentist will take dental impressions, create a mold from these and forward it to the dental lab. The device varies in thickness, depending on the severity of the grinding. Custom-fitted mouthguards can help reposition the jaw properly and relieve jaw strain to provide lasting prevention of teeth grinding or clenching.
Dentists recommend custom-fit night guards to protect the teeth, gums and surrounding oral tissues. According to a study published in Digital Journal, professionally-made night guards performed better than over-the-counter guards. The custom-fit means the device will not slip out of place in the mouth awkwardly and the thickness is usually just enough to withstand grinding forces.
The more comfortable and nonintrusive a night guard is, the higher the chances of consistent usage. Over-the-counter night guards are not fitted for the patient’s mouth, which often causes them to fit poorly inside the mouth than the ones provided by dental professions. Also, if the night guard is not comfortable, the patient is more likely to chew it, causing its thickness to deteriorate gradually and reduces the protective function.
Some of the other benefits of professionally-made night guards include: being tasteless, resilient, odorless and tear-resistant. It fits inside the mouth without grazing or hurting the soft tissues of the oral cavity.
Patients are more likely to remove and potentially misplace a boil-and-bite night guard since it may not fit snugly inside their mouths. The oral device is bulky and foamy and may even come loose or fall out of the mouth during physical activities.
The device may affect breathing and muffle the patient’s speech. They often need to be replaced more frequently than a custom-fitted mouthpiece since they are far less durable. The dentist will use high-quality materials to create a device that will not only offer the best protection but also continue to serve for a long time.
If you grind or clench your teeth, you may be tempted to save money by getting a night guard online or over the counter. However, it is advisable to contact the dentist for a professionally-made device instead.
Request an appointment here: https://www.drelloway.com or call Randal S. Elloway DDS, Inc at (530) 527-6777 for an appointment in our Red Bluff office.
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