How does a Nightguard work?

Do you stop breathing while you sleep and wake up with a gasp or a snort? If you do either of these things while you sleep, you may have obstructive sleep apnea or sleep bruxism. Sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea are both medical problems that a doctor should look into and diagnose. But your NW Edmonton dentist should also be a part of it. Why?

To know about night mouth guard blog, a nightguard is a plastic piece that looks like a retainer and can be hard or soft. It covers the biting surfaces and can be worn on either the top or bottom set of teeth. Since everyone’s teeth are different, a nightguard is made specifically for each person by shaping it to fit your teeth without being too tight or bulky. It has a lot of different names, but dentists all mean the same thing when they talk about a mouthguard, occlusal guard, bite splint, dental guard, or nocturnal bite plate.

Why it’s Important to Choose the Right Nightguard

Prevent Plaque Development

Even though the names are similar, you shouldn’t confuse a sports mouthguard with one that keeps you from grinding or clenching your teeth. A mouthguard for sports will hurt more than help. It goes over the teeth and gums to protect them from being hit by something hard. If you wear a sports mouth guard at night, it traps bacteria on the gums while you sleep because saliva can’t reach the gums.

Saliva neutralizes acids that can cause cavities and washes away food particles, which stops plaque from building up. So, the best way to find a nightguard that won’t hurt your teeth is to talk to a professional in oral hygiene. It’s important to remember that some nightguards have holes that let your saliva get to your teeth. So, a dentist will help you choose the right design based on how good your teeth are.

Don’t change the way you bite.

A nightguard is made to fit your teeth and bite. Because they are soft and made of a thicker rubbery material, sports mouthguards are not made to fit your bite. Softer things will make you chew while you sleep because your brain thinks they are food. After a while, the effect would show up when your bite changes.

Various Nightguards

The American Sleep Association groups nightguards into four groups based on the materials they are made of:

Nightguards Are Hard

These are made of acrylic, and they are used to treat TMJ and cases of grinding and clenching teeth very hard. As the muscles relax, the lower jaw moves into a healthy center position, which changes the bite. By adjusting the bite on the guard, your muscles and jaw will be able to relax. Hard nightguards are the most durable because they are made of a firm material.

Over-the-counter

There are one-size-fits-all nightguards that can be bought at drug stores. They are already shaped to fit any mouth. They can also use boil-and-bite nightguards, which need to be softened in hot water so that they fit better. Unfortunately, if you use these devices for a long time, your bite will change because they are not made for the shape of your teeth.

Custom-made

Since they are made from a mold of your teeth, they are a personalized solution. A dentist will use professional materials and methods to make a nightguard that is just right for you. This will make you feel better. With the right care and adjustments, these can last for a number of years.

A dentist near you may be able to make you a custom-fitted mouth guard that will help with your sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea.

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