Night Guards

What Is Night Guards?

If you often have headaches or teeth or jaw pain after waking up, then you should visit a dentist for an examination. This pain could be a sign of bruxism, a common disorder that can cause the clenching of the jaw and teeth grinding. Bruxism wears down and loosens teeth, inflames the gums, and causes headaches and persistent and neck pain.

At Sedro-Woolley Family Dental Center, we can provide a nightguard to protect your teeth and jaw from the harmful effects of bruxism.

What Are Nightguards?

Nightguards are oral protective appliances fabricated from high-grade material with cutting-edge technology and planned to fit firmly around your teeth. They help avert problems caused by teeth grinding and jaw clenching to give you uninterrupted and peaceful sleep with reduced pain in the morning.

As the night guards are made of transparent plastic, they will not be visible when you wear them. This is greatly helpful for those people who want to protect their teeth but at the same time are self-conscious about their appearance.

Why Wear a Night Guard?

Reduces Headaches and Tooth pain

The teeth grinding and clenching of jaws in the nighttime can cause severe headaches and tooth pain when you wake up. This could signal that you need to wear a nightguard while sleeping. Most patients feel a lot better after wearing the appliance.
Prevents Damage to Teeth

The damage to the teeth can be prevented by wearing a nightguard. The grinding of the teeth can make them chip, crack, or wear down. This results in discomfort as the teeth flatten and your dentin or nerves become exposed. This could then cause extreme sensitivity of the teeth when you eat or drink. One could end up with gum recession and teeth loss if this type of damage continues. If you use a nightguard, the teeth will not grind against each other, and the possible damage can be avoided.
Treats TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders could be caused by severe teeth grinding or jaw clenching. This condition could be distressing, starting as a sore jaw in the morning with the occasional headache. You must treat TMJ early by wearing a night guard and stopping your teeth from grinding or clenching in your sleep. Otherwise, TMJ can become quite severe. Some people find it challenging even to open their mouths at this stage, let alone eat or speak normally.

To find out if you might benefit from a custom-made nightguard, call us at Sedro-Woolley Family Dental Center in Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 at (360) 855-0351 and schedule an appointment.