FACTS ABOUT YOUR NIGHT GUARD
Facts about your Night Guard (also known as a bite splint or occlusal splint)
- It consists of clear, soft (on the inside) and hard acrylic plastic (on the outside)
- It is designed to prevent your teeth from coming into contact while you sleep
- You must wear your night guard every night
- You can wear your night guard during the daytime if you feel that you are grinding or clenching your teeth
How to clean your night guard
- Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly before putting your night guard in your mouth
- Brush (with a toothbrush) and rinse your night guard before placing it in your mouth
- Brush (with a toothbrush) and rinse your night guard before placing it in water when you are not wearing it
- For patients with a lot of fillings, crowns, partial dentures, or susceptibility to decay, we recommend Fluoride containing rinses or gels that can be placed in your appliance once per day
Things to consider
Your mouth is a dynamic environment and as such, your mouth will feel different after wearing your night guard. In some cases, patients may feel their "bite shift" or their "teeth move". This is a common and expected feeling when wearing a night guard.
Remember, it will take some time to get used to wearing your night guard. Depending on how advanced your symptoms are, it can take upwards of 3 to 6 months for you to become comfortable wearing your night guard while you sleep. Even though this can be a sometimes difficult process, it is important to wear your night guard every night and, if you feel yourself grinding or clenching while you are awake, you can wear your night guard during the day as well. If this is the case, please notify your dentist as your diagnosis may have changed.
Finally, remember that a lot of symptoms necessitating a night guard are related to the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). The TMJ works together with the Muscles of Mastication (MOM) to help you chew. A hot compress or gentle massaging of the joint area near your ear and around your jaw, if done frequently, will help ease your symptoms