If you clench or grind your teeth at night, our excellent dentists may recommend night guards. Night guards are designed to relieve your teeth from chronic jaw pain, worn teeth, headaches and more. To learn more about night guards and make your appointment with our dentists in Denver, Colorado, today, call Hampden Family Dental at 303-337-5385. We look forward to hearing from you!
Studies show that as high as 30% of Americans clench or grind their teeth at night. Some have noticeable symptoms and others simply have the evidence in their mouth like worn teeth or receding gums. A night guard is a special type of mouth guard that is used to treat bruxism, or teeth grinding and clenching. If our dentists suspects that you suffer from bruxism, we may recommend a night guard to protect your teeth from damage and prevent teeth grinding while you sleep. Many people who suffer from bruxism are unaware of the condition because it occurs while they sleep. Common signs of nighttime teeth clenching and grinding include:
- Chronic jaw pain, facial pain, and ear pain
- Awakening with a tired or tight feeling in the jaw
- Frequent tension headaches and migraines
- Excessive tooth wear, leading to chipped, flattened, cracked, or very worn teeth
- Extremely worn tooth enamel, exposing the inner layers of the tooth
- Increased tooth sensitivity to cold
- Transient pain in random teeth that comes and goes over time
- Fractured or dead teeth that require root canal treatment or even extraction
- Poor sleep - sometimes associated with sleep apnea
If you notice the signs of bruxism, you may benefit from a custom night guard. Dr. Loumeau prefers to make a style of night guard called an NTI night guard. This device only covers your teeth from canine to canine with a single contact point on your two front teeth. This style of guard rewires your brain and trains you to stop clenching and grinding entirely. For the impression visit, we will use our intraoral scanner to take pictures of all of your teeth. Then the lab will print a 3D model of your mouth and fabricate a custom night guard that is comfortable and fits snugly. Approximately 95% of our patients have their symptoms relieved with an NTI night guard. For the few who don't, a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in TMJ treatment is sometimes needed.