Did you know that you could face risks to your oral health when you sleep? Your dentist can identify dental concerns in your smile caused by behaviors you might not even be aware of that occur during sleep. The dentist can provide you with a night guard to wear while sleeping that can provide a variety of preventative dentistry advantages.
This custom-made mouthguard-like appliance will fit comfortably and securely in your unique smile. The personalized approach ensures the device does not disrupt your sleep schedule when worn. But you still might wonder what exactly this device can do for your smile. Read on to discover three oral benefits you might experience when you wear a night guard.
Treat Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a type of disorder in which the soft tissue at the back of the throat relaxes and collapses during sleep for brief intervals. During these short periods, the tissue creates a blockage in the airway that stops you from breathing. While not acutely life-threatening, interrupted breathing can lead to many health complications down the road.
A doctor can treat sleep apnea, but your dentist can also help with mild cases of this disorder. They can provide you with a special night guard designed to keep your jaw aligned in a position that prevents the collapse of tissue during sleep. Then you can prevent these medical risks and improve your sleep quality. Learn more when you schedule a consultation with your dentist.
Relieve Chronic Jaw Pain
Do you wake up in the morning with a sore jaw? This pain can occur when you clench or grind your teeth during the night. The action exerts strain on the muscles around the jaw joint. Even if you find this discomfort tolerable, you should not ignore the symptom.
Chronic jaw pain can worsen if the strain continues. And it can inflame the muscles around the jaw joint to give you temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ). If left untreated, TMJ can lead to difficulty completing oral functions.
Your dentist can provide you with a night guard that can keep your jaw in a position of rest while you sleep. This can encourage the release of tension in the jaw and therefore alleviate excess strain that may make your jaw hurt.
Prevent Dental Damage
Nighttime grinding and clenching of your teeth, a habit known as bruxism, will create oral health issues beyond just your jaw if left to continue. The pressure of grating the teeth together this way will wear down your teeth over time. You could make your smile more vulnerable to tooth decay or you could crack, chip, or fracture a tooth.
Untreated bruxism might also damage prior dental work such as a filling or a crown. Then you would require urgent restorative dental treatment to repair this damage.
A night guard over your teeth can cushion the teeth and underlying dental work so that they will not suffer this harm from unconscious bruxism. Discover if a night guard is the right preventative solution for your smile by calling your dentist today.