Hello, Dr. Virginia Ellis over here. Today I am going to be discussing night guards: what are night guards, how do they work, and how do they help you. So here we go.
What is a night guard and how does it help protect teeth?
A night guard is basically a clear plate that is custom-made. We'll talk about different kinds that are custom-made and go over your teeth over here, okay? What it does is it creates a protective barrier. This is a fake one, so don't freak out if you see this between your upper and your lower teeth. You put it in at night. Yes, people ask me, can I wear this at night? Yes! And if you look closely in here, instead of you grinding and wearing down and putting a lot of pressure on your teeth over here, you are creating a gap or a barrier that decreases the amount of destructive forces and redirects those forces that would otherwise be damaging to your teeth, your gums, and your bone sockets.
What are the most common reasons someone might need a night guard?
Well, basically when people come to me and they're saying, um, my headaches are getting really bad, I wake up with a sore jaw, or I'm getting a locked jaw, I can't open my jaw, my jaw hurts, or when people come in with really worn teeth. When they come, a lot of people don't realize they're grinding or clenching until I go ahead and take pictures and show them—look, you're over here, look at how you're wearing your teeth—or they come in with symptoms like I just described.
How does a night guard help with teeth grinding?
Like I just said, it basically creates that protective barrier where someone’s just kind of grinding and moving around like this. Instead of wearing their teeth, they're going to be wearing on the plastic, which is replaceable—whereas your teeth, your teeth are not, right? What you're born with is not really replaceable.
Can a night guard reduce clenching or grinding?
Yes, they can because in a lot of cases—not always—but in a lot of cases, when you're just positioned in the right spot, it does relax, and it has been shown to reduce grinding and clenching. And by the way, grinding is when you're kind of rubbing your teeth and grinding really hard. Researchers have shown that one night's worth of grinding is equivalent to 100 days of normal wear and tear on your teeth. Clenching is just when you bite down really hard. Some people tend to clench, okay? So clenching is you're biting down hard; grinding is you're biting hard and rubbing around the teeth.
What are the benefits of using a night guard for TMJ?
Well, a lot of the benefits, like I just discussed, are reduction in the muscle spasms, the tenderness in the muscles and on their jaws, reduction in headaches, and it decreases broken teeth and jaw locking.
Can a night guard help with snoring or sleep apnea?
It can, but usually it doesn't. It is mainly addressed to fix your issues or reduce your grinding and clenching problems.
What are the differences between over-the-counter and custom-made night guards?
Well, basically over-the-counter night guards are way cheaper because it's a one-size-fits-all, and they don't usually work the way they are supposed to work. Whereas custom night guards are custom-made specifically for your mouth, custom-made specifically for the functions of your mouth and to address your specific anatomy in the jaw and the head and neck. Okay, so yeah, big difference there. You know, it's like, what's the difference between a custom-made suit and a generic suit? There's a big difference there, but the function is huge with a custom night guard. There's a lot more detail. The custom night guard can take two to three weeks to make, whereas the store-bought guard is just down at your pharmacy—but it's not the same, nowhere near the same.
What is a Brux night guard and how is it designed for bruxism?
Well, the BRX night guard, I looked it up, it's basically kind of like this, but it doesn't go all the way to the back of your teeth. It covers basically the front and only goes from here to here instead of covering all of the back of the teeth. The danger in using something like that is that when you are only using something that touches the front but not the back, you're open in the back. What can happen with some people is the molars can start to hyper-erupt or push forward, and then you wind up with an open bite that can affect your quality of life because instead of being like this, you're now like that because the back teeth have erupted. You don't want to do that; it can create complications in the comfort of your jaw and also how it starts to wear down, and also in your bite—your ability to eat a sandwich or pizza, things like that—and your looks as well.
What are specific night guards for teeth grinding versus clenching?
Well, you know what? The best night guard out of all my years in dentistry—I've been practicing for almost, let's see, oh my gosh, h24 years, almost h25, going on h24—so these guys here, these are the best ones. They're the hardest ones to make for a patient but really the best type. It's a full upper hard night guard. It's like putting a whole bunch of crowns in at once; it stabilizes the jaw. There are some that are laminated, that are soft in here, hard in here—they can work—but you have to be really careful not to wear through the inside soft part because sometimes you can wear through that and a tooth can hyper-erupt and change your bite. That's the only downside to that. There are really soft ones; those just rock your jaw—they're chewing toys. I wouldn't go with a full soft mouth guard because they're not really stable enough to stabilize your jaw joint and really protect your teeth long-term. They also don't last as long.
How do I know if I need a custom night guard?
I'll tell you if you need a night guard. Don't go with a generic; that would not be my recommendation or the blessing to you for that. Invest in your health, invest in your teeth, invest in a custom night guard. Usually, you come in, you need a custom night guard because everyone's situation is different. Your teeth and the way you move your teeth are like your thumbprints, okay? Everyone is different, including identical twins. It's just like identical twins; they have different fingerprints. Identical twins have different teeth even though they're genetically the same. The position of the teeth, the way they move the jaw is different, so everyone is different. You really do need to invest in a custom-made night guard to get the best results.
Are custom night guards more effective than store-bought options?
Yes, for the reason I just stated.
How do I properly clean a night guard?
It's very easy; there's really no complication to it. You just use cold water and plain soap and toothpaste. You can use toothpaste, but it has, like, the white—you know, like silica—in there. Just soap and water, unscented, unflavored soap. Just brush over here, brush over here, make sure you're brushing here, and then bring it to the dentist because sometimes if you don't brush those areas really well, you can grow tartar in there and you can't get that out until you bring it here. Okay, and you can only clean them so many times. Let's see what the dentist says: at home, clean them every day in the morning when you wake up before they dry up, okay? Because if you have plaque in there, it'll harden and turn into tartar.
Are night guards expensive and does dental insurance cover them?
You know, they can be expensive. Some people have come in and said, oh, I got mine for $300. Oh my gosh, that doesn't even cover the lab fee. So if you want a night guard that's well made, expect to spend—I would say every situation is different—closer to a thousand, okay? And a custom-made, properly fitting night guard—remember, I'm not saying it's a thousand, don't hold me to that, okay? Everyone is different; it depends on where you live in the country, on the overhead, and what the cost of living is in your area. So custom-made night guards are sometimes covered by dental insurance. A lot of times they are, a lot of times they're not. You just need to ask the insurance coordinator or the person that handles the finances in your dental office.
How does a dentist determine the right fit for a night guard?
By taking a very, very accurate impression of your mouth and a record of your bite. And then when that's done, it's sent to a lab where they mount that in a fake jaw. They bring it back to me, and then I spend about a one hour appointment with them. It's easy for you; we do all the work. You just have to bite, bite, bite, side to side, front and back, tap, tap, tap. That's all you do. We do all the work; we custom-make the functional movements for you. We adapt the guard to your bite, so it's not hard. It's just a bit expensive because it is something that takes a lot of accuracy to make and it's very labor-intensive.
What is a sleep apnea night guard and how does it differ from a regular dental night guard?
Well, basically the sleep appliances—you know, a night guard is called an appliance, okay? So a night guard addresses grinding and clenching, right? A sleep appliance addresses the obstruction of the airway that prevents you from getting enough air into your lungs. So those appliances that are put in the mouth are generally designed to move the jaw forward and not really address grinding and clenching but really more prioritize the opening of the airway. So if you have to choose between a sleep appliance and a night guard—you know, you’ve got to breathe to live—so that is important. Sometimes the other thing to know is because your jaw is being shifted forward, your bite can change. So it can change your bite, but it's really important. What are you going to do? Secondary would be the grinding and the clenching; the first thing would be to really address your ability to breathe at night because it can be life-threatening.
Can children or teens use night guards for teeth grinding or clenching?
Yes, but it's usually for older teens whose teeth are no longer changing and whose skull and mouth are not changing. So older teens and adults benefit the most. Can you make a night guard for a child or a growing teen? You can, but it would require special adjustment. It's not for everybody; it will be a case-by-case basis, and that is something that you would address to a doctor when you come in and bring your child for that need.
What should I do if my night guard causes discomfort or doesn't fit properly?
Tell me, call your doctor, tell them. And then if you happen to have a situation where your doctor can't figure it out or you're still in pain, just ask them to refer you to another source that they know of. Not every case can be solved in one office; sometimes you need a team effort of multiple doctors working for your special needs. Usually, a one-stop shop helps, but everyone is different, and some people are more in need of special or advanced treatment than others.
How do brands like DenTech or Remi compare to professional dental night guards?
So, these are again more like generic night guards. The generic night guards are basically stock trays. A lot of times you heat them, put them in your mouth, and try to shape them. They don't compare; they're just really different. It takes a lot of work and detail to make you a properly fitting night guard.
If you feel like I've answered everything or you found this video helpful, do press a like on the button. If you have further questions, contact our dental office. We are more than happy to have you come in and to further explore the options of a night guard or a breathing appliance. Give us a call at (925) 272-2698 and remember to click that like button, subscribe to the channel, and share this with anyone that you think could benefit from it. Okay, see you in the next video. Bye-bye.
Custom-Fit Dental Night Guards
If you often wake up with a tender jaw or throbbing headache, you could be clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth while you sleep. Known as bruxism, this condition can also toothaches, and it affects both adults and children.
According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, bruxism during sleep is more serious than bruxism while awake. Why? When you are asleep, you are not aware of what you are doing, and you could unknowingly be exerting significant pressure on your jaw and teeth.
How to Protect Your Jaw and Teeth From the Effects of Bruxism
To help alleviate the symptoms of bruxism, the exceptional dentists at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. create customized night guards for patients in Orinda, California. A night guard is a dental appliance that covers the teeth, creating a cushioning barrier between the upper and lower jaw to prevent the teeth from coming in contact with each other and grinding together.
Made of durable materials, such as silicone or acrylic resin, night guards are placed over the teeth and worn during sleep. To ensure maximum protection and comfort, the experienced team of dental professionals at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. will use impressions of your teeth to personalize your night guards and fit them specifically to the unique contours of your mouth. Although night guards can also be purchased over the counter, a one-size-fits-all device may offer inferior protection against the effects of bruxism because it simply will not fit as well as a custom night guard created by a dentist.
In addition to helping you get a better night’s sleep, a custom-made night guard can prevent bruxism-related damage to your teeth over time. For instance, chipped and worn-down teeth may eventually require veneers, crowns, or other cosmetic dental repair work.
Are You a Candidate for Night Guards?
If you would like to learn more about night guards and find out how this individualized dental solution may help you, contact Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. today. You can also use our convenient online form to request an appointment at our office in Orinda, CA.