Night Guards

What Is a Night Guard?

A night guard is a small plastic apparatus that you wear at night while you sleep. Some people even wear it sometimes during a stressful day. It’s called a “night” guard, but you can wear it anytime.

It serves several purposes. Some people clench their jaws at night which can be painful and can also lead to frequent headaches. Some people clench their teeth and jaws all the time, especially during times of stress.

Not only can clenching leads to headaches and mouth pain, but the clenching can also contribute to TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. The temporomandibular joint is the one that attaches your lower jaw to your head. TMJ disorder can turn into a lifelong chronic problem.

A night guard prevents you from clenching your teeth.

Some people grind their teeth at night. Some people do it during the day, too, but it’s especially common at night. Grinding teeth—aside from being loud and annoying—can lead to some of the same problems mentioned above.

More importantly, teeth grinding can damage your teeth and other dental appliances in your mouth. The enamel surface of your teeth is very hard. And that enamel can actually grind away your teeth damaging the surfaces of teeth and even wearing away the biting surface as well as the surfaces of crowns or other dental work. Night guards stop grinders in their tracks.

There are different types of night guards, and they are no longer the giant hockey-puck types of yesteryear that resemble the mouth guards that football players wear.

They are much more comfortable than they used to be. The technology for night guards has advanced a lot in the past 20 years.

You can call us at 604-758-5840, or fill out the online form on our Contact page. One of our staff members will get back to you shortly.

After you visit us once, you will never again be afraid to visit the dentist.