Nightguards

While you are sleeping, you could be damaging your teeth and not even know it. Wearing a nightguard can help protect your teeth and may even help you get a better night’s sleep.

Noles Family Dental can help you determine if you could benefit from a nightguard.

Bruxism Causes Chronic Teeth Grinding While You Sleep

People who suffer from bruxism chronically clench or grind their teeth. While bruxism can cause you to clench or grind your teeth at any time of the day, it is most noticeable at night. This is because you are sleeping and unconsciously start to clench or grind your teeth.

Frequent teeth grinding and clenching from bruxism may not seem serious, but it can cause numerous problems. Untreated bruxism can cause the following problems:

• Poor sleep quality
• Frequent headaches
• Earaches
• Face pain
• Sore or painful jaw
• Erosion of tooth enamel
• Broken or damaged teeth

Bruxism is most commonly caused by improper alignment of the teeth and jaw. Other potential causes of bruxism include stress, not exercising properly, improper diet and poor sleep habits. Regardless of the cause of bruxism, wearing a nightguard can help you protect your teeth.

How Does a Nightguard Work?

A nightguard is made out of a thin, soft material. It is placed directly over your teeth. When you grind or clench your teeth, the nightguard protects them by acting as a cushion.

Store-Bought Nightguards vs. Custom-Made Nightguards

Nightguards can be found in the dental aisle at almost any store. While these types of nightguards will provide some protection, we recommend patients get a custom-made nightguard.

The nightguards you see in the store are often made of thicker, bulkier material. It can be extremely uncomfortable to wear them at night. If you are uncomfortable or experiencing pain and discomfort from your nightguard, you are less likely to want to wear it, and the teeth grinding and clenching will continue.

We recommend a custom nightguard because they are made out of a thinner material which makes them more comfortable to wear. Custom-made nightguards also are less likely to shift or move around while you sleep because they are uniquely made to fit your mouth.

How Are Custom Nightguards Made?

Our dental team will use high-quality impressions to create a mold of your mouth. The mold and impressions are sent to a dental lab where your custom nightguard is created. The dental lab makes sure the nightguard is created to fit your mouth’s unique shape, size, and structure.
When the dental lab finishes creating the custom nightguard, it is sent back to our dental office in Greensburg, Indiana. We will then schedule an appointment for you to come in to get your nightguard.

During the appointment, you will try on the nightguard to see if it fits properly. If there are any problems, our dentist can make adjustments. Our dentist will work with you until you are comfortable with the fit of your nightguard.

Contact Our Greensburg Dentist To Discuss Custom Nightguards

Call Noles Family Dental in Greensburg to schedule an appointment to speak with our dentist about custom nightguards. Our dentist is ready to answer any questions you may have and help you determine if you could benefit from a custom nightguard.