Night Guards in McAllen, TX
What Are Custom Dental Night Guards?
Welcome to Xpress Dental, where we create custom dental night guards to protect your teeth. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can have negative side effects that we can help alleviate. Mouth guards for sleeping are a plastic tray that is inserted over your upper teeth. This provides a plastic barrier so you are not grinding away the hard enamel of your teeth. Night guards can be purchased over-the-counter, but having a custom dental night guard made has many more benefits and will be more effective long term.
Who Needs a Night Guard?
If you are a person who clenches or grinds their teeth at night, a custom night guard may be just what you need. There are a number of negative side effects that can be caused by tooth grinding. These include:
- Damage to tooth enamel – Grinding damages the enamel that protects your teeth. Loss of enamel can cause tooth sensitivity and lead to tooth decay.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder – TMJ is a disorder that affects the joint where the jaw meets the skull. Grinding can cause inflammation and jaw misalignment.
- Headaches – Tension caused from clenching and grinding teeth can lead to chronic headaches.
- Disrupted sleep – Tooth grinding can be noisy and unpleasant, which can lead to disrupted sleep for you or your partner.
If you are experiencing any of these side effects, a dental night guard might be best for you.
How Do I Choose a Dental Night Guard?
When it comes to choosing the right night guard for your teeth, there are two factors to consider: comfort and effectiveness. The material and thickness of the mouth guard determines how comfortable and effective it will be at protecting the teeth. There are three different levels of night guard materials that we offer:
- Soft guard: Made of a soft, rubberlike material called EVA, soft guards are lightweight and flexible.
- Hard: Made of a more rigid, acrylic material. This is for those who have had multiple replacements for night guards due to heavy grinding.
- Hybrid: Provides the comfort of the soft guard in the inner layer for flexibility and an acrylic outer layer to protect against grinding.
- Retainer night guard: This dual-purpose mouth guard helps protect against teeth grinding as well as keeps teeth from shifting.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your dentist can help you choose the right mouth guards for sleeping.
Types of Custom Dental Night Guards
There are multiple types of night guards you can use if you are noticing that teeth grinding is becoming an issue. Some common types are:
- Over-the-counter pre-set guard – standard, one-size-fits-all
- Boil-and-bite – also over-the-counter, but somewhat molded to your own teeth
- Adjustable – uses boiling water to soften so you can adjust to your bite
- Custom-made night guards – Professionally made from a mold of your own teeth
While some over-the-counter options can be more cost-effective, they can sometimes cause issues over time, such as pain or shifting of teeth. Also, over-the-counter options that are not made to fit your specific bite may wear out quickly and need replacement. A custom mouth guard will ensure you are getting the right protection specifically made for you.
Benefits of Using a Night Guard
There are many benefits to using a night guard for your teeth. A custom mouth guard can protect your teeth against unwanted damage and lead to overall improved health for you. Here are some of the primary benefits of using a mouth guard for sleeping:
- Prevention of tooth damage – reduces damage to tooth enamel. Enamel wear can lead to sensitivities, cavities, decay, and breakage of teeth.
- Prevention of TMJ – reduces the stress on the joint and ligaments in the jaw, which when aggravated, can cause many painful symptoms.
- Reduces headaches, pain and tension in the head and neck.
- Improved sleep quality.
A dental night guard will provide the best protection against teeth grinding and clenching.
Why Choose Xpress Dental
Dr. John Tan at Xpress Dental is a leading provider of general dentistry in McAllen, TX. We are dedicated to giving our patients the most up-to-date care in dentistry and serve established patients as well as emergency patients. We offer convenient evening and weekend hours to better serve you.
Contact Us in McAllen, TX
We understand that there are many options when it comes to finding the best night guard for teeth grinding, and we are here to help you every step of the way. Let us help find the best mouth guard options for you so you can rest easy. If you are experiencing negative side effects from teeth grinding, contact us today for a consultation.