5 Reason to Wear Your Dental Night Guard (and Not Let It Collect Dust on Your Night Stand)

If you’re grinding or clenching your teeth and forgetting to wear your night guard, here are 5 reasons to protect those teeth!

1.   The damage will get worse

The #1 reason you want to protect your teeth is because wearing a night guard is preventative. The serious effects might not come next week or next month or even next year.

But, over time your teeth will become weaker and more vulnerable to cracking and eventual breakage.

The average cost to repair just one tooth is $1200! A full mouth restoration can cost you upwards of $30,000. Wearing your night guard every night is an investment in yourself.

2.   Wearing a night guard will decrease or eliminate your jaw pain and headaches

If you’re waking up with headaches and jaw pain, this can be relieved with the consistent use of a properly fitted night guard. The night guard breaks up that direct tooth on tooth contact and gives your teeth the relief they desperately need.

3.   Prevents gum recession

But, I don’t grind my gums! How are my gums affected? The constant heavy pressure of teeth grinding puts a lot of pressure on the bone and gum area. The result is gum recession. Your gums will thank you for wearing your night guard.

4.   Prevents flattened or shorter teeth

This happens over years of consistent wear. The enamel flattens and your teeth lose that youthful shape. This is a tell-tale sign of aging. Some teeth flattening is just a natural part of aging but excessive teeth grinding, gnashing and clenching will cause the teeth to become shorter. This process happens more quickly and more severely when you don’t wear your night guard.

5.   Sleep Better

Disturbed sleep is a symptom of teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Wearing a night guards promotes deeper muscle relaxation. This reduces stress and improves sleep patterns so that you can get the sleep you deserve!

Some things you can do to remind yourself to wear your dental night guard:

Make it part of your bedtime routine.

• Keep your retainer case in a spot you know you will see right before bed.
• Remember to clean your night guard in the morning so that you don’t have to bother with that part right before bed. Don’t forget to give your retainer case a good clean once a week!
• Set a reminder on your phone

Make sure it’s comfortable.

If you don’t love the fit of your night guard, you’re going to have an aversion to wearing it. Making sure your night guard is comfortable is imperative to the success of wearing your guard consistently.

Is your night guard uncomfortable?

Mass produced, one size fits all types

Is your night guard a store bought, one size fits all type? These night guards are generally very uncomfortable and ill-fitting. They’re mass produced and fail to fit properly to your teeth.They’re subpar to custom made night guards in comfort, fit and durability of material.

Custom made night guards

If your night guard is new, it will take some time to get used to. As long as it fits properly, you should adapt to wearing your night guard comfortable within 1 to 2 weeks. If the guard is too tight or too loose or if it feels like it’s “pulling” your teeth, stop use and contact your night guard provider.

Consider going custom.

A custom made dental night guard is crafted from a dental impression of your teeth. It snaps into place and stays put throughout the night. If your custom made night guard is uncomfortable, take it back to your dentist or night guard provider. They should work with you to either adjust the guard for a better fit or remake the guard to your satisfaction.

A custom night guard is made to withstand the effects of grinding and clenching. Using high quality dental material and professional lab technician experience, your custom crafted night guard will be superior to the cheaper store bought types.

The continuous grinding of teeth overtime can be painful and costly. Wearing your dental night guard consistently will protect your smile and your wallet.