Occlusal Guards ...Do I really need one?

Sometimes an occlusal guard is known as a night guard because patients are
instructed to wear the prosthesis primarily at night while sleeping. The
purpose of the guard is to prevent TMJ complications, relax jaw muscles,
reduce headaches caused by clenching and most commonly, to protect the
dentition.

A sign of wear is often noted when we begin to lose the definition and
shape of our teeth. Wear by bruxism and clenching can change the shape of
your teeth and make them look flatter and uniform. Sometimes patients will
feel that the flattening wear on their front teeth affects their youthful
appearance.

An example of the dental night guard that is fabricated in our office is a
two layer guard with a soft interior and a hard exterior. The hard exterior
provides the guard with strength to last against wear. The soft interior
will hug the teeth in a comfortable fashion.

Prevention is key! Make your appointment today to further discuss this with
your dentist and to have a clinical evaluation of your dentition. In order
to fabricate your occlusal guard, an easy no mess intraoral scan will be
completed and sent to the lab for fabrication.