Dental Night Guards in Vancouver, BC
A dental night guard is a special type of mouthguard designed for people who clench their teeth at night. Teeth clenching, also referred to as teeth grinding or bruxism, is the forceful movement of the jaw while the upper and lower jaw teeth are held together. Teeth clenching can affect both adults and children, and often has lasting detrimental effects, including significant wear of teeth as well as temporomandibular joint disorders.
Individuals who clench their teeth while sleeping may not be aware of the existence of this problem. However, a careful assessment by our dentist in Vancouver, BC, during your dental exams can bring this matter to light.
Why Are You Grinding Your Teeth?
Nighttime tooth grinding may be a result of stress or anxiety, or misaligned teeth (bad/crooked bite). If you struggle with sleep apnea, you’re also at an elevated risk of grinding your teeth at night. Your age, personality, preexisting mental or general health disorders, and genetic predisposition can also make you more susceptible to tooth grinding.
Common symptoms of tooth grinding include jaw pain and soreness, flattened or fractured teeth, dull headaches, increased pain sensitivity, locked jaw, and worn tooth enamel, among others. If you’re showing these symptoms, contact The Art of Smile Dental Clinic to schedule a consultation with our dentist near you.
How a Night Guard Works
A night guard works by creating a soft but firm barrier between your upper and lower teeth. This way, it becomes impossible for you to clench your teeth as you sleep.
There are different types of dental night guards in Vancouver, BC, including stock mouth guards, boil-and-bite night guards, and custom night guards. Stock mouth guards and boil-and-bite mouthguards are bought over-the-counter and offer little to no degree of customization. As such, they’re usually uncomfortable and create more problems than they solve.
Our custom dental night guards near you are created as per your specific measurements. During your appointment, our dentist takes your dental impressions to determine the perfect size and fit of your night guard. These impressions are shared with our dental lab, which then creates a custom, well-fitting, and comfortable dental night guard to help you overcome the problem of nighttime bruxism.
Contact The Art of Smile Dental Clinic today if you’re in Vancouver, BC, and are looking for a multi-specialty dental practice that provides custom dental night guards near you.