Protect Your Smile With Custom Night Guards at Reiser Dental
Welcome to Reiser Dental, your trusted dental care provider in Denver, CO. We understand that dental health is not only about having a beautiful smile but also about taking care of your teeth and gums to ensure optimal function and comfort. That’s why we offer a range of services, including custom night guards, to help you achieve a healthy, happy smile.
What is a night guard, and how does it work to help protect your teeth?
A dental night guard is a guard that goes over the top surface of your teeth. It's usually a hard acrylic guard that we use to dissipate forces throughout all your teeth to help prevent them from cracking under pressures, biting, and chewing forces.
Dental night guards can correct a variety of dental issues, including:
- Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism)
- Jaw pain and headaches caused by bruxism
- Snoring and sleep apnea
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
What are the most common reasons someone might need a night guard?
The most common reasons are cracked teeth, pain in your joint or your TMJ, muscle spasms, muscle soreness, and headaches.
How does a night guard help with teeth grinding?
A night guard helps with teeth grinding by putting a thin layer of acrylic between your top and bottom teeth. As you're grinding and bruxism back and forth, you'll wear into that guard instead of your natural teeth.
Can a night guard help reduce clenching or grinding teeth at night?
Yes, that is one of the main reasons that we would prescribe a night guard for you. By having a night guard on your teeth and having us custom make it for your joint and the way you're functioning, we can dissipate the forces to your muscles and your joint and help limit clenching and grinding of your teeth.
What are the benefits of using a night guard for TMJ?
Depending on your TMJ issues and what's going on there, we can use a night guard to position your joint in its natural location so that you're not putting excessive forces on the ligaments that hold it where it's at. This can greatly help with TMJ discomfort and soreness.
Can a night guard help with snoring or sleep apnea?
Normally not. A night guard is just on one arch and is used specifically to help with either TMJ issues, muscle issues, headaches, cracking or breaking of teeth, and wear of the tooth. A sleep apnea device is similar to a night guard, but it fits on both your upper and lower arch and is used to reposition your lower arch a little bit farther forward to open up your airway, whereas a night guard will not reposition your jaw at all.
What are the differences between over-the-counter and custom night guards?
Over-the-counter night guards are cheaper and are kind of do-it-yourself at-home night guards. They can work great in certain situations, but they are not custom-fit and are not custom-made for the situation that you're running into. You could have an over-the-counter night guard that could be treating something that you don't need treatment for, which could lead to other issues.
Custom night guards are made here at the dental office and are custom-made for your exact situation. They're made to custom fit your teeth so that they don't feel bulky or misplaced and are made to function with how your joint is functioning, depending on your issue and why you're having this situation. We can custom-make a night guard to help your specific situation and issue.
What is an NTI night guard, and when is it recommended?
An NTI night guard is a guard that we use that goes specifically over your front teeth. We use this quite often to help diagnose issues and why you're having pain and discomfort. It can also help reprogram your bite. If you have malocclusion or if your joint or disc is in the wrong place, we can use this guard to help loosen the joint, reposition it to where it wants to be, and help us diagnose what we need to treat your teeth. It is sometimes used specifically for clenching your teeth and severe pain. We can sometimes use it for a very limited situation to take care of pain.
Are there specific night guards for teeth grinding versus clenching?
Yes and no. Most of them are very similar. Depending on why you're clenching and why you're grinding, we can custom-make your night guard to specifically work for whatever issue you're running into.
How do I know if I need a custom night guard?
Some of the most common things that could lead you to think that you need a night guard are if you've been having to replace fillings, have cracked fillings, have been getting crowns for cracked teeth, or are waking up with headaches or soreness in your jaw or joints. These are all common reasons for you to come in to see if you need a night guard.
Are custom night guards more effective than store-bought options?
Yes, they are. Custom night guards are made specifically for your teeth and for the situation that you're running into. They're able to be fine-tuned to help with the exact situation that you need the guard for, whether it's for grinding, clenching, a combination of both, or maybe an issue with just your joint itself.
How do I properly clean a night guard?
Depending on the specific type of night guard that we give you or that you have, there are different situations on how you want to clean it. More often than not, it's very simple. We just ask you to run it under warm or cold water every time you take it in or out. We also ask you not to use anything abrasive on it, so we would not have you brushing it with a toothbrush with toothpaste.
Nine times out of 10, simply running it under warm water every time you take it in and out will suffice to keep it clean. You'll also bring it in with you anytime you come to the office, and we can clean it here for you.
Maintaining a Night Guard
To ensure your night guard lasts as long as possible, follow these maintenance tips:
- Rinse the guard with water after each use.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and liquid dish soap to clean the guard.
- Store the guard in a cool, dry place when not in use.
How often should a night guard be replaced?
This is totally dependent on what you're doing and how bad you're grinding and clenching. In general, we say a night guard should last you 5 to 10 years. I have patients with severe bruxism where we're replacing them every three years, and I have people mainly using them for joint issues, where they've been using them for over 10 years.
Are night guards expensive, and does dental insurance cover them?
Night guards are an investment, but the cost of an initial night guard and the amount of money it can save you moving forward by protecting your teeth is a great investment. Dental insurance usually covers night guards. It really depends on which insurance you have and the plan that you're with.
How does a dentist determine the right fit for a night guard?
The first thing we do is an exam. During your exam, we'll take a look at your joint, your jaw, your muscles, your bite, and if you have any issues with your bite. Then we'll take a digital impression so we can get the exact replication of your mouth, your jaw, your joint, and how your teeth come together. We'll work with a lab to fabricate the night guard that's specific for you.
Getting a night guard at Reiser Dental is a simple process that involves the following steps:
- Consultation – Our dental team will assess your dental health and determine if a night guard is necessary.
- Custom Fitting – We will take a digital scan of your teeth and use it to create a custom-fitted night guard.
- Fitting – We will adjust the guard to ensure a comfortable fit and provide instructions on how to wear it.
What is a sleep apnea night guard, and how does it differ from a regular dental night guard?
These are two separate things. A sleep apnea night guard is really an oral sleep apnea device, and its main goal is to prevent sleep apnea. As you're wearing the oral sleep apnea device, it would work as a night guard and prevent you from grinding and clenching. Whereas a night guard is specifically just for clenching and grinding and other issues not related to sleep apnea. It only goes on one arch and doesn't reposition your jaw to help with breathing. It really just protects your joint, jaw, and musculature.
Can children or teens use night guards for teeth grinding or clenching?
Yes, for sure. Depending on the severity of the child's clenching and grinding, we would recommend them as early as we can. As a child's teeth might be lost and moving as they're developing, the night guards might need to be replaced a little more often, but they are definitely recommended and can be used on adolescents.
What should I do if my night guard causes discomfort or doesn't fit properly?
You should instantly call us back here at the office and come back in so we can take a look and evaluate what's going on. As this is a new device, sometimes it takes a little time to get used to. During the first couple of weeks, there might need to be a few adjustments to fine-tune it to your jaw, your joint, your musculature, and how your teeth are functioning with each other.
How do brands like Dent or Remy compare to professional dental nights?
Dentek and Remy, along with all kinds of other over-the-counter night guards, are just a do-it-yourself, self-fit guard that you make for yourself at your house. The main difference is that you would be diagnosing your issue and treating it with a device on your own. Sometimes you can run into a general over-the-counter night guard that is used just for clenching and grinding, and that's not what you actually need it for. It can actually lead to more issues.
Whereas a custom night guard made here, we first diagnose why you need it and what it's going to help prevent and provide for you, and then we custom fit it for you while we work with you over the next few months to few years making sure it's functioning well and doing what it's supposed to be doing.
Alternatives to Dental Night Guards
While dental night guards are an effective solution for many dental issues, some alternatives may be appropriate for your needs. These include:
- Lifestyle changes, such as stress management and improving sleep habits.
- Orthodontic treatment, such as braces, for teeth misalignment or malocclusion.
- Surgery or other medical treatments for sleep apnea.
Schedule Your Appointment for Night Guards With Reiser Dental
At Reiser Dental, we are dedicated to providing you with the highest level of dental care. If you’re experiencing any dental issues or want to learn more about night guards, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team of dental professionals are here to help you achieve your best dental health.