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Why You Grind Your Teeth at Night and How a Custom Night Guard Can Help

Grinding your teeth is a common condition that can cause pain and damage your teeth, jaw, and bite. Grinding may cause serious problems. It causes tooth wear (also called abrasion) and gum recession. You also may develop facial pain, headaches, earaches, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain.

The good news is that there are ways to treat this condition and get back the comfort of a good night’s sleep. A custom night guard from Teeth Night Guard Lab can help prevent and relieve the pain associated with grinding your teeth at night.

Types of Bruxism

Awake Bruxism

Teeth grinding when awake is the rarest type of bruxism. It occurs when you are awake and usually involves clenching or grinding your teeth together. Anxiety, stress, or frustration can cause this type of bruxism.

Sleep Bruxism

The most prevalent bruxism is sleep bruxism, which occurs while you’re sleeping. The symptoms of sleep bruxism may include waking up with headaches, sore jaws, or neck stiffness. This type of bruxism often goes undetected because it occurs when the person is asleep and unaware of their actions.

The most common signs of bruxism include:

  • Jaw pain or headaches that occur during or after sleep
  • Teeth grinding or clenching during sleep that may wake you up
  • Tooth wear (small chips or cracks) on the biting surfaces of the molars

Causes of Bruxism

1.    Stress and Anxiety

Studies have found that negative emotions like stress, worry, rage, or impatience increase a person’s chance of grinding their teeth during the night. The grinding can be a way to release the tension. The best way to treat this is to reduce your stress levels and get enough sleep. With relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, regular exercise, and good nutrition, you can do this.

2.    Genetic and Age Factors

Bruxism is frequent in young children, especially when their teeth develop. However, because of the rapid development of the teeth and jaw, bruxism usually goes away on its own.

There is a strong genetic component to the condition, which may be inherited from either parent. If one or both of your parents grind their teeth at night, then there is a good chance that you will also have this problem.

3.    Personality Type (Competitiveness or Aggression)

If you have a competitive nature, grinding your teeth could be one way for the body to release tension. This can happen subconsciously when you feel pressure to perform well in a situation that requires extreme focus and concentration. When you’re stressed about an upcoming event (like a test), this can cause tension in the jaw muscles, which leads to grinding of the teeth.

What is a custom Night Guard, and How Does it Help?

While there is no treatment for bruxism, many doctors recommend mouthguards or night guards to help lessen the symptoms of nighttime grinding and clenching. A custom night guard is a special mouthguard that can be molded to fit your teeth perfectly. It is used to protect your teeth from damage during sleep.

Custom night guards are designed to fit your mouth, providing the most comfortable and effective protection against teeth grinding and clenching. The custom-fit also reduces jaw pain because it prevents excess pressure on the teeth.

How Does a Custom Night Guard Help?

1.    Prevents Tooth Damage

A custom-made night guard will help keep them from coming into contact with one another during the night. The night guard is created from an impression of your mouth and teeth. This allows for a perfect fit to protect your teeth from damage during sleep. The material is strong enough to withstand biting pressure without breaking.

2.    Reduces Pain and Jaw Tension

Your jaw muscles may feel sore or tender when you wake up in the morning if you grind or clench your teeth during sleep. A custom-made night guard can help reduce jaw tension and pain by helping to align your jaws and eliminate clenching, grinding, or bruxism (grinding of the teeth). The bite splint in your custom-made device helps reduce the amount of stress placed on your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) during sleep.

3. Improve Sleep

The best part about having this kind of device in place is that it allows you to get a full night’s sleep while still protecting your teeth from grinding and clenching during the night. A custom night guard is designed to help you get a good night’s sleep by keeping your jaw in place as you sleep. Thus, it improves sleep quality by reducing snoring and improving airway patency through the nasal passages.

Signs You Might Need a Custom Night Guard

1. Sensitive And Worn Out Teeth

The enamel on your teeth is the hardest substance in your body, but it’s still susceptible to damage. If you’re rubbing or grinding your teeth during the day or night, this can cause surface scratches on the enamel that will eventually become visible white spots. These signs of wear may also be accompanied by sensitivity in one area of the tooth’s surface caused by a crack or chip.

2. Painful Jaw Muscles

If you have been experiencing pain or stiffness in your jaw muscles, it could be because of grinding. Grinding causes stress on the muscles surrounding your jaw, leading to soreness. The stress on your muscles can also cause headaches.

3. You Have Headaches When You Wake Up

Tension headaches can result from bruxism. You can feel discomfort in your temples or at the base of your skull, where your muscles tense when your jaw clenches.

4. Your Nighttime Grinding Keeps You Awake.

If your grinding causes pain or disrupts your sleep, it’s time to see a dentist. Your dentist can create a custom-fitted night guard to help prevent further damage and improve your sleep quality.

Summary: Grinding your teeth at night can be an uncomfortable habit that sore your jaw. It can also cause headaches and damage teeth or dentures. A personalized mouth guard can protect your teeth against grinding. The dentist will create an impression of your teeth and create a Custom Night Guard that meets your needs. Night Guards are not just for protecting your teeth from grinding. If you are dealing with TMJ pain, then a custom-fit night guard can help you get the relief you deserve.

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