Best Night Guard Dentist in Worth, IL
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Having Trouble Sleeping In The Night? You Might Need A Night Guard.
It can be beneficial to use a guard, or covering, to protect your teeth from grinding while sleeping. Similar to how a mouthguard protects teeth during sports, this layer prevents damage to the teeth that can occur naturally.
There are a wide variety of different types of mouthguards, ranging from pre-formed pieces to ones that are custom fitted to your teeth and jaws. Some of these can even be formed at home through a boil-and-bite process.
Typically these mouthguards cover your upper teeth only, but in certain instances they are used for the lower teeth as well.
Grinding of teeth can be a serious problem that does major damage to your teeth, so wearing a nightguard is an effective way to prevent this damage.
To learn more about mouthguards and how we can care for your teeth, please contact us today.
The feeling of ache in your mouth due to some sports injury? Can’t sleep well at night because of the pain? Worry not, as the night guard has you ‘secured.’ A night guard, also known as a mouth guard, is a dental instrument that is used to cover your teeth, gums, and tongue from the pain caused by any inner or outer injury.
Why would I need a night guard?
Used by adults and children alike, if you see one of the following conditions, your dentist might recommend a night guard:
- Sports with a high risk of injury to the facial area
- Ground teeth
Types of Night guards
Hard Night guards
Made from acrylic, the hard texture of the hard night guards serves well in severe teeth grinding cases. As your muscles get used to it and relax, the guard slowly moves into a more central position.
Over-the-counter
Usually found in drug stores, over-the-counter night guards can be pre-molded to fit any mouth. Moreover, the boil-and-bite night guards can be softened in hot water for a better fit. However, long-term use of such instruments causes your bite to change as they have not been specifically designed for the shape of your teeth.
Custom-made
As the name suggests, these night guards are made especially suited to your teeth texture, size and shape. Your dentist would use professional materials and techniques to take an accurate impression of your teeth so the night guard is properly adjusted to your needs. If done with precision and delicacy, they can endure for even years to come.
How do I care for a night guard?
Since night guards spend so much time in your mouth, they naturally catch on to many bacteria. It is hence necessary to look after them by regular cleaning. To clean your night guard, make sure that you:
- Don’t expose it to extreme heat since it can cause the night guard to change shape.
- Please keep it in a sturdy, vented plastic case when not in use
- Rinse it in cool water and use a brush and soapy water to clean it after each use. Later, leave it in the open air to dry.
- Keep it out of the reach of pets.
Negative side effects of using night guards
Minor discomfort
Initially, it will be a challenging ride: it will feel as if someone started building in your mouth and suddenly ran out of budget. Talking with it or laughing with it will slightly reduce some pain here and there; now and then, some uncalled-for saliva would start to drip, and overall, it’s just not a good experience.
Yet, it is not long before you start to get the hang of it. Talking with it feels regular and casual, and there’s nothing noticeably different until you take them off.
If the pain and irritation don’t cease even after a month or two, you should have it checked by your dentist.
Poor fit that causes pressure or soreness
There can be two cases in this regard: you had an over-the-counter night guard that isn’t fitting you, or you have a custom-fit night guard with the same issue.
To solve the former problem, switch to a custom-fit night guard. If you already have a custom-fit night guard that isn’t fitting correctly, have another impression done so you can get a proper fit.
Address
11130 S Harlem Ave, Worth, IL 60482
Phone
+ (708) 448-6760
worthysmiles@gmail.com
