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Do you find yourself suffering from headaches when you wake up every morning? Do your teeth look damaged or worn out due to grinding? If so, you might be suffering from bruxism (teeth clenching and grinding).
You might have heard of orthodontic or dental devices like mouth guards, bite splints, or dental guards. However, with so many options of night guard varieties available, it becomes quite a hassle to choose the best one according to your needs.
Understanding Night Guards
Night guards are orthodontic devices that are designed to prevent teeth grinding (bruxism) at night. Many people suffer from teeth grinding during their sleep. Excessive teeth clenching or grinding can have damaging effects on your teeth, causing teeth chipping, loosened teeth, or TMJ issues.
Mouth guard devices are typically made from flexible plastic material (BPA-free). These offer enhanced durability to sustain excessive teeth grinding force while providing you relief. You need to resolve the issue by having solutions for teeth grinding, which is where mouth guards come into play.
According to ResearchGate study results, night guards are ideal devices to reduce damaging effects from teeth grinding (bruxism).
Ideal Night Guard Factors
There are many factors to consider when choosing a dental night guard for teeth grinding. Some of the main factors to consider include:
- Any previous dental work done on teeth
- Need for over-the-counter or tailored fit
- Daytime or nighttime teeth grinder
- Heavy or light teeth grinder
- Dental health situation
- Night guard durability
Types of Night Guard
Dental mouth guards, or night guards, are different than sports mouth guards as they offer better durability and support for night grinding symptoms. You can obtain your night guard by visiting a dentist or online.
There are mainly three categories of night guards. These include:
- Soft night guard
- Hard night guard
- Hybrid (double laminated) night guard
Soft Plastic Night Guard
These dental guards are affordable and ideal for moderate to severe teeth grinders. Soft night guards are basically recommended for those who grind their teeth at night. These night guards are usually crafted from soft plastic (EVA and BPA-free) materials and have a short usable lifespan.
Soft custom night guards can be obtained either through a dentist or online through orthodontic suppliers such as Smilepath. You can also obtain over-the-counter night guards through your local market.
Benefits
Some of the benefits of soft night guard include:
- Affordability
- Tailored to offer the best comfort
- Ideal for nighttime usage
- Ideal for moderate grinding
- Soft night guards (non-custom) can be obtained from local markets or pharmacies.
Drawbacks
Some of the drawbacks of these soft dental guards include:
- Not ideal for heavy teeth grinders
- Cannot sustain the excessive teeth-grinding force
- Limited durability
- Shorter usable lifespan
Hard Night Guards
These dental guards are crafted from hard (BPA-free) plastic and are suitable for those who suffer from extreme bruxism (teeth grinding). Hard night guards are mostly tailor-made (contoured) and secured from either the dentist or at home through orthodontic suppliers like Smilepath that use dental impression kit molds.
Hard plastic night guards are crafted to provide excellent protection and durability but can be uncomfortable for long-term usage.
Benefits
Some of the benefits of hard night guards include:
- Enhanced durability for extreme night grinding action
- Tailored to provide complete protection and coverage
Drawbacks
Some of the drawbacks of hard night guards include:
- Heavy and thicker than soft night guards
- Extreme rigidness
- Uncomfortable to use
- Difficult to adapt to for long-term usage
Hard plastic night guards can prove to be quite rigid, which makes them uncomfortable for many people suffering from bruxism. Therefore, you might find Smielpath’s hybrid (flexible) night guards as the ideal option. These night guards offer softness on the inner layer and rigidity on the outer, making them perfect for those who want comfort but also protection against heavy grinding.
Hybrid Night Guards
These night guards (dual laminated) have a soft inner layer shell with a hard (stiff) outer layer shell. Hard night guards provide the best overall protection against heavy teeth grinding while offering comfortable wear all day long.
You can also choose your night guard thickness level from either 1mm- 2mm for better tailored fitting and comfort. It is important to keep hybrid night guards from getting soaked too much, as you need to keep these dry to ensure the layers don’t separate.
Benefits
Some of the benefits of a hybrid night guard include:
- Ideal for extreme teeth grinders
- Long term usage
- Durable
- Ideal comfort than regular hard night guard
Drawbacks
Some of the drawbacks of hybrid night guards include:
- It is heavier than other varieties of night guards
- Difficult to adjust to usage
- Not ideal for heavy teeth grinders
Which Night Guard is Ideal for me?
When it comes to choosing the best custom night guards, it can depend heavily on your unique lifestyle and teeth-grinding patterns. A generic night guard might not provide you ideal comfort and relief from excessive teeth grinding and you might not have the resources to afford a night guard made by the dentist.
Under these circumstances, when you want a contoured night guard that offers durability, comfort, and affordability, you can get at-home orthodontic solutions from companies like Smilepath offers industry-leading affordable orthodontic solutions in comparison to competitors.
FAQs
1. What are dental night guards?
These are orthodontic devices designed to protect users from teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism) while sleeping at night.
2. What kind of night guards are suitable for excessive teeth grinders?
Hard plastic dental night guards are highly recommended. This is due to their thickness and durability, which guarantee that teeth remain protected from excessive grinding.
3. Are custom night guards available in various thickness options?
Yes, you can obtain your dental night guards from companies like Smilepath in different thickness options ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm as per your dental needs.
