Why You Should Wear a Mouthguard at Night

When you’re asleep, a lot of activity happens within your body. As you work through different phases of sleep, your body is busy repairing muscles, organs, and other cells. Your brain is hard at work consolidating memory and learning. Your mouth may be full of activity too — whether you know it or not. Many Americans clench or grind their teeth at night, which can lead to dental complications — unless you wear a mouthguard at night.

Why Do I Clench or Grind My Teeth While I’m Asleep?

According to sleep professionals, at least 10 percent of Americans involuntarily clench or grind their teeth while asleep. Clenching and grinding, otherwise known as bruxism, has a variety of causes ranging from anxiety to alignment issues to sleep apnea. While it’s often hard to pin down the exact underlying cause of bruxism, there’s one common solution: a night mouthguard.

How Does a Night Mouthguard Protect Teeth?

Over time, teeth clenching and grinding while asleep can lead to different health issues. The most common ones include wear on your tooth enamel, cracked teeth, tooth pain, chronic headaches, and TMJ disorder. A cracked tooth or damaged enamel increases your risk for developing cavities, tooth decay, and infection of the sensitive inner part of your tooth. A night mouthguard can reduce your risk for these complications by preventing your top and bottom teeth from touching while you sleep.

I’m Convinced — How Can I Get a Night Mouthguard?

If you’re ready to protect your pearly whites while you sleep, our team at Dental Solutions of Avon/Indy can help. We can create a custom-fitted mouthguard in our office that can protect your teeth for years to come. Compared to over-the-counter mouthguards, ours are customized to your individual teeth and therefore more comfortable. To ask our team any questions about night mouthguards or to schedule your consultation, call our Avon office today!