If you grind your teeth at night, a night guard is the most straightforward way to protect your teeth and gums. Even while you should take other measures to address whatever might contribute to your teeth grinding (such as stress, TMJ, or a misaligned bite), you should always be protecting your teeth with a night guard at the same time.
Night guards, however, are not all created equal, and it's important to find the right one for you. You will want to pick one with a density of the material that suits both your comfort and your level of teeth grinding.
One of the most important things to consider is whether or not your night guard fits properly. If it doesn't fit properly, then it won't work as well as it could and may even contribute to damage over time.
So, how do you know if your night guard fits properly? Read on for some tips!
You should be able to bite down without discomfort.
When wearing your night guard, pay attention to whether the night guard pushes into your gums. If it does, it is too long for your teeth. You do not want your night guard to affect your gums over time, so your night guard should not press or cut into them.
You also want to ensure that the outside edge of the night guard does not feel sharp against the inside of your cheeks because you do not want to increase your chances of getting canker sores. Gum problems and canker sores are often the result of teeth grinding, but getting a night guard should help you improve those issues not make them worse.
Your lower jaw should feel like it’s in a natural position.
Ideally, you should not feel like the night guard prevents you from closing your mouth or setting your teeth in a comfortable position. You don’t want your night guard to increase any jaw pain you may have.
Having a custom night guard that’s built around your teeth should help you achieve the right fit. If you still feel like it’s too bulky to allow you to close your mouth fully, you may consider getting one with thinner plastic.
You should notice fewer headaches and less jaw tension.
There are a few ways to tell if your night guard fits properly. If the guard is too tight, you may notice that your gums and cheeks are sore. If it’s too bulky, you may experience more headaches or jaw tension in the morning. A good fit should do none of these things.
The best night guards do not only protect your teeth but also alleviate some of the discomforts that teeth grinding can create. A good fit should decrease the number of headaches or the amount of tension that your teeth grinding has been causing.
The night guard should feel secure.
A night guard with a really excellent fit can feel like a natural part of your mouth. Though that is sometimes not achievable, the absolute minimum requirement is that your night fit securely. A loosely fitting night guard will move around and rub against the teeth that you are trying to protect. It can also rub along your gums and pinch the inside of your mouth.
Generic night guards, which you can find sold in pharmacies, usually fit too loosely or too tightly. Because they are not fit around your specific teeth, they can move around quite a bit. So, it is always best to choose a custom night guard.
You should base your choice of material on both comfort and level of protection.
Harder plastics will provide longer protection against aggressive teeth grinding, but softer plastics will be more flexible and comfortable for people with sensitive mouths or those who are new to wearing a night guard.
Since you need to make wearing your night guard an easy undertaking, and since you can replace night guards as they wear down, it is important to prioritize comfort over durability if you must choose.
Make sure you get a custom night guard.
As we mentioned, getting a custom night guard is the best way to achieve a truly great fit. However, as you may know, they can be quite pricey. Usually, you have to go to a dentist, get fitted, and have the dentist order your guard.
TeethNightGuard streamlines that process and puts all the power in your hands – and, by doing so, it cuts down the price tag quite a bit. You get to choose your own material density. And you will get an easy-to-use kit with instructions on how to take a mold of your own teeth.
Then, you can send it back to our U.S.-based lab, and we’ll ship your night guard right to your home. Plus, we have a full satisfaction guarantee. And, once we’ve got your mold, ordering future replacement night guards is easy.
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EXTRA DURABLE CUSTOM NIGHT GUARD - MAXIMUM DURABILITY AND COMFORT - MOST RECOMMENDED
$109.99
Item Number SWSPRO Manufacturer Sparkling White Smiles Dental Lab Rating Product Description - 3mm is the Recommended Standard Thickness for a Professionally made Custom Night Guard - Our Custom Teeth Night Guards are BPA, Latex, and Phthalate Free - MOST RECOMMENDED… Read More