Sleeping people can clench their teeth with up to 250 pounds of force. Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding or clenching affects millions of people and can lead to serious damage to your teeth.

One way that you can prevent teeth grinding and jaw clenching are by using nightguards while you sleep.

Do you want to learn more about the benefits of using a nightguard for your oral health? Keep reading these reasons why you should start sleeping with a nightguard.

Lessens Damage to Teeth

The primary benefit of using a nightguard while you sleep is that it prevents a lot of damage to your teeth. As you grind your teeth at night, the constant pressure will slowly wear down your teeth.

In more serious cases, chronic teeth grinding can lead to fractured, loose, or lost teeth.

Tooth damage is one of the long-term side effects of clenching or grinding your teeth that may require serious oral health treatments to repair.

By simply wearing a nightguard while you sleep, you can lessen the wear and tear that happens to your teeth while you sleep. Your nightguard will act as a barrier to prevent your teeth from getting chipped or worn down over time.

Prevent Headaches

Jaw clenching and teeth grinding can also lead to chronic headaches. When you clench your jaw muscles, it tightens the muscles that lead from your cheeks and under your chin.

The more you clench, the tighter these muscles become. This means that tension from your clenched jaw can spread up through your head and neck, resulting in tight muscles and tension headaches.

If you have chronic headaches and have been unable to identify the source, it may be due to bruxism or jaw clenching. By wearing nightguards, you lessen the pressure on your teeth and you may see improvements in your chronic headaches.

Treats Jaw Disorders and Tooth Pain

Not only does a nightguard help prevent damage to your teeth, but it can also treat jaw disorders and tooth pain.

When you clench your teeth in your sleep, the pressure may be why you wake up with tooth pain. Simply by wearing a nightguard while you sleep, you can reduce this pain.

Using a nightguard is also a simple solution to treat jaw disorders like TMJ. TMJ can be caused by jaw clenching and severe teeth grinding, which can lead to jaw pain and can make it difficult to open your mouth.

A nightguard can treat this problem and prevent your teeth clenching or grinding from worsening your jaw disorder and your tooth pain.

Eases Oral Discomfort

Another huge benefit of using nightguards for your oral health is that they will reduce your oral discomfort. As was mentioned before, constant teeth clenching can lead to chronic soreness in your teeth and jaw.

If you wake up with headaches, jaw pain, or any other type of facial discomfort, a nightguard can ease this discomfort.

Because grinding wears down your teeth, it leads to exposed nerves and teeth that are more sensitive to hot or cold foods. By wearing a nightguard, you will not have as much pressure on your teeth and you can avoid these types of oral discomfort.

Nightguards Are a Custom Fit

Next, when you get your nightguard from your dentist, it will be a custom fit for your mouth. This means that it will be comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, like when you are asleep.

To get a perfect fit for your nightguard, your dentist will start by taking impressions of your teeth which will then be used to make a perfectly fitting nightguard that is customized for each patient.

While you can buy nightguards at most grocery stores, they are typically bulky alternatives that are uncomfortable to wear. To find a nightguard that fits perfectly, you can visit your dental office to get impressions taken of your teeth.

With these impressions of your teeth, your dentist will create a perfect-fitting nightguard that will be comfortable to wear.

Prevents Tooth Decay & Sensitivities

Lastly, wearing a nightguard can improve your oral health by preventing unnecessary tooth decay and other tooth sensitivities.

As was mentioned before, grinding your teeth will quickly wear down the surface of your teeth and can damage your enamel. Tooth enamel is a hard barrier that protects your teeth from damage.

In fact, your tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body. Without enamel, your teeth are more susceptible to tooth decay. If you do not take proper care of your teeth, teeth grinding can eventually lead to tooth loss.

When you wear your nightguard while you sleep, you can prevent your tooth enamel from getting worn down. This will save you a lot of money in the long run by protecting your teeth from decay, sensitivities, and more.

Improve Your Oral Health with Custom Nightguards Today

Bruxism or teeth clenching is a serious problem that can lead to oral health problems in the future.

Your local dentist can help you get a custom-fit nightguard to help treat your bruxism. This will lessen damage to your teeth and will prevent headaches and other tooth pain.

If you are looking for a nightguard in Urbana, OH, Champaign Dental Group can help! We provide gentle, pain-free dental care and can help you improve your oral health.

Contact our team today to learn more about our services and to schedule an appointment!