When you grind your teeth at night, this can end up causing dental problems and other issues. Having a nightguard in your mouth while you sleep can prevent this from occurring and ensure that your jaw is aligned properly. Although you can find nightguards in stores, these don’t provide the same benefits as custom fit ones that your dentist can give you. Find out more about why you should have a professional fitting for a nightguard.
Reasons to Use a Nightguard
Teeth grinding is among the most common reasons for dentists to recommend wearing a nightguard. Grinding your teeth at night can lead to tooth damage, as well as jaw pain and other symptoms. Since this behavior occurs while you sleep, it can be difficult to stop doing it on your own. A nightguard provides a way to prevent you from being able to grind your teeth as you sleep.
Nightguards are also used to help correct problems with jaw alignment. A misaligned jaw can cause you to have trouble chewing and speaking clearly. Having a nightguard in your mouth while you sleep offers a convenient way to work on correcting misalignments. Your dentist might recommend a nightguard if you have mild problems with jaw alignment rather than severe ones that require other oral devices.
Store-Bought vs. Custom Nightguards
Nightguards that you buy at the store are only available in certain sizes. This doesn’t guarantee that any will fit your mouth comfortably or provide effective treatment to prevent teeth grinding and promote jaw alignment. While it might be cheaper to use these nightguards, you can’t count on getting the same results. These products usually don’t last as long as ones that you get from your dentist, so you would have to replace them more often. Although they tend to cost less overall, having to replace them often can add up over time.
Custom nightguards for jaw alignment and teeth grinding can provide you with effective results. These types of nightguards are custom made to fit your mouth. Your dentist will have you come in for a professional fitting in order to determine the size and shape you need for your mouth. Although you’ll have to wait for your nightguard to be made for you, having a custom fit one means that it will be more comfortable to wear and work more effectively. These nightguards are also more durable than over-the-counter ones, which helps them last longer. While these nightguards typically cost more, they offer better results and do not need to be replaced often.
What to Expect from a Professional Fitting
When you decide to have a professional fitting done for a nightguard, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth. This helps determine the shape and size of the nightguard that you need. Your nightguard is then custom made, and you can expect to return to your dentist to make sure that it fits properly. If so, your dentist will provide you with instructions on how and when to wear it and how to take care of it. Your dentist can also let you know how long you’ll need to use a nightguard, which depends on different factors, such as how severe your teeth grinding is.
If you need more information on getting a nightguard, please contact Arvada Dental Center to set up an appointment.
