Mouth Guards
Eagle Mountain, UT
 When you go to bed, do you expect to wake up rested and refreshed? If you find yourself waking up with discomfort in your mouth or jaw, then you may be experiencing the same trouble that 10-15% of Americans have while asleep. You might be suffering from a condition called sleep bruxism, when you grind, gnash or clench your teeth while in bed. Fortunately, there is a solution to your agony. At Ranches Family Dental we can help fit you with a custom nighttime mouthguard to alleviate your morning pain and get you on track for a productive day.
Top Reasons You Could Benefit from a Nighttime Mouthguard
Are headaches during the day taking away your ability to concentrate at work or day-to-day activities? Do you have unexplained pain in your teeth and jaw, radiating up to your ear to an earache that doesn’t go away with treatment? Are your teeth are starting to take on an eroded, worn-down appearance or are starting to feel loose, or perhaps you’re noticing cuts and scrapes on the inside of your cheek? Any of these signs are a major clue that you may be grinding your teeth at night.
While bruxism is quite common, it still tends to catch our patients off guard when we inform them that they’ve been grinding their teeth. Major triggers for bruxism include:
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Stress. Have you taken on more responsibilities at work or noticed an uptick in stressors in your personal life?
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Medications. Have you recently started new medications, especially those which are used to treat depression?
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Conditions. Certain conditions are also linked to bruxism, such as epilepsy, dementia, and surprisingly, GERD. |
For stress-related bruxism, it tends to peak when your stress peaks. That means that the moment your stressors start to diminish, you’ll notice you’re not grinding your teeth as much. Bruxism, for many patients, is a temporary condition that goes away on its own. However, for patients who report lingering discomfort or the symptoms are negatively impacting them, a nighttime mouthguard can help take some of the pressure off your teeth and jaw and help you get a good night’s sleep.
Getting a custom fit nighttime mouthguard can be incredibly beneficial to you. Not only does it act as a layer of protection for your teeth, shielding them from chipping and wearing away if you do grind your teeth, it can also ease some of the tension in your jaw. Less pain in your mouth can help you secure a good night’s sleep, helping you feel more refreshed and alert during the daytime. Moreover, for those of our patients who are suffering from headaches during the daytime, if your headaches are caused by tooth grinding, you should notice immediately a reduction in both the frequency and the severity of your headaches.
Nighttime mouthguards aren’t just for tooth grinding, either! Patients who have TMJ/TMD notice that they feel better once they’re fitted at our office with a custom nighttime mouthguard. Mouthguards also help with jaw alignment and can reduce snoring.
If you suspect that you’re grinding your teeth at night or have questions about how a nighttime mouthguard could benefit you, then please give us a call here at Ranches Family Dental at (385) 374-0500. We are happy to help you schedule a dental exam with a consultation to answer any of your questions! |
