If you experience teeth grinding or bruxism at night, most medical experts recommend using teeth night guards to minimize overnight grinding and the harmful effects that come with it.
Your choices here include an over-the-counter teeth night guard from a local pharmacy or a custom night guard from your dentist. However, if you cannot take a trip to the local pharmacy for your guard or get one from your dentist, your best bet would be to order your teeth night guard online.
But before you do that, here are some FAQs to help you familiarize with the process.
1. Is a Custom Night Guard Really Necessary?
A custom night guard is necessary if you experience bruxism. Besides offering relief at night, it prevents your enamel from wearing and resulting in breakages or even teeth loss.
Not to forget, a night guard ensures that you do not disturb your sleeping partner with your teeth grinding.
2. Do Custom Night Guards Work?
Generally, night guards will do an excellent job of protecting your teeth from damage arising from grinding or clenching. However, custom teeth night guards are more effective than OTC ones because they are tailored for your teeth. Note that they will not repair the damage that is already done but instead will prevent further deterioration.
3. How Much Does a Night Guard Cost?
Cost is an essential consideration when thinking about acquiring night guards, just as is the case with other things in life.
If you buy a one-size stock guard online, you might part with any amount between $10 and $35. But keep in mind that getting your guards at such a bargain means you might also be getting a bargain at quality and you’ll likely not find a custom fit. For “mail order” guards, expect to pay any amount from $89.99 to $149.99.
So, how does the process of making an online order work? After making a night guard order, you will receive a teeth impression kit along with straightforward instructions on taking your own teeth impression.
Once that is done, you will send your teeth impression to Teeth Night Guard Lab and the experts will create a custom teeth night guard that addresses your unique situation.
Now, if you are wary of spending much on a night guard, it helps to consider the fact that if you broke your tooth from grinding, fixing a dental crown is way costlier.
4. Why Do My Teeth Hurt After Wearing My Night Guard?
Night guards are meant to act as a protective barrier for your teeth when you grind or clench them. Therefore, you should not feel pain wearing them. That said, if your teeth, gums or any other part of your mouth hurts when you wear night guards, it is likely because they are ill-fitting.
The trays may be too small for you and, consequently, put unwanted pressure on your teeth and gums. Alternatively, they may be too large and may not provide the protection you are looking for in the first place. In that case, your best bet is to purchase custom trays explicitly created to fit your teeth.
5. Should You Use a Night Guard Every Day?
Ideally, night guards are designed for everyday use especially if your bruxism is severe. If you wear them occasionally, you expose your teeth to damage on the nights you do not wear them. So, your teeth’s deterioration will continue. It will just happen at a slower speed.
Your dentist may give you guidelines on how often to use your trays to manage bruxism. But unless stated otherwise, wear your night guards every night.
6. How Long Do Custom Night Guards Last?
While a custom night guard is not meant to last forever, it can serve you anywhere between 5 and 10 years. So, why does the timeframe vary so much?
It all depends on the severity of your condition. That is, how much you grind your teeth while you sleep. Your orthodontist should be able to assess how severe your condition is and give you a more precise estimation. But they do eventually wear off and need to be replaced to continue offering maximum protection for your teeth.
Note that your night guards can also last longer if you take extra steps to manage your grinding.
7. Can a Night Guard Move Your Teeth Out of Place?
An ill-fitting night guard can put pressure on your teeth and, consequently, shift them out of place. Not to mention, they will be pretty uncomfortable to wear and may interfere with you and your sleeping partner’s ability to get a good night’s sleep.
So, it is not usually recommended that you buy your night guards over the counter as they may not be an ideal fit for your teeth.
Instead, it would be best to have your night guards custom-made for you. In this case, they will be building following your teeth impressions. Custom night guards will be a lot more comfortable to wear, will offer the protection you need and will definitely not interfere with the position of your teeth.
8. How Long Will I Need to Use Night Guards?
Unfortunately, there is currently no absolute cure for teeth grinding. However, treatment to manage the condition is possible through a variety of methods. Using night guards is definitely one of the best solutions for grinding teeth in your sleep.
However, you can combine it with other techniques and lifestyle changes to control your bruxism. Suggestions include cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, jaw relaxation training during the day by putting your tongue between your teeth whenever you clench or grind, and managing your stress levels.
Need Custom Night Guards?
If you are experiencing signs of mild or severe teeth grinding, such as worn-out enamel, chipped or lost teeth, worsening teeth sensitivity, jaw muscle fatigue, pain in the face, ear, or jaw, among other common symptoms, you likely need night guards.
Night guards will protect your jaw, teeth and gums from the effects of teeth grinding. Now, for the best outcome, make sure you get your teeth guards from a professional dental lab. This way, you can be sure they will be custom-made to your teeth by qualified dental technicians.