Night Guard for TMJ Disorder

The man is happy to have a new night guard.

Are you wondering why do you experience dull headaches every time you wake up? Or why do you have facial pain and jaw soreness? Maybe because you have habits during your profound sleep that you may not be aware like clenching and grinding your teeth. These sleep conditions can be painful and destructive to your teeth, or in the worst case can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Luckily, you can use a night guard for TMJ to give cushion and to lighten the tension in jaw muscle.

 

What is the temporomandibular joint?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) performs like a sliding hinge, interfacing your jawbone to your skull. TMJ is a type of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) that can cause torment in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw action.

 

The exact cause of individuals who have temporomandibular joint disorder is often hard to identify. Your agony might be because of a mix of factors, for example, hereditary qualities, arthritis or jaw injury. Some individuals who have jaw soreness also tend to teeth grinding and clenching, though many individuals habitually grind or clench their teeth and never turn their condition into TMJ disorders.

 

In most cases, the discomfort and pain linked to the temporomandibular joint disorder are transitory. Also, you can calm the pain and discomfort with self-guided cared or nonsurgical treatments. A surgical procedure is commonly a last resort after reasonable measures have failed; however, some individuals with TMJ disorders may profit from surgical treatments.

 

What are the symptoms of TMJ disorders?

Teeth grinding and clenching are conditions known as Bruxism and common habits that can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder. TMJ disorder is a painful condition that happens when the jaw joint is misaligned. Here are the following manifestations of TMJ disorders.

  • Tenderness or pain of your jaw
  • Torment in either of the temporomandibular joints
  • Pain in and around your ear
  • Trouble biting or pain while chewing
  • Facial pain
  • Locking of the joint, making it hard to open or close your mouth

 The man is in his dentist for a custom-made night guard.

If you suffer from this condition, you can use a night guard for TMJ to lighten the pressure in your jaw. Also, if you have a habit like teeth grinding during your sleep, it is essential to treat or manage that condition. Although not all teeth grinding can lead in this condition, it can still be the factor to develop TMJ or aggravate an existing condition. So, in order to prevent that from happening, be wise and have a mouth guard during your sleep, especially if this is your case.

 

What is a night guard?

Most instances of teeth grinding can easily be cured by wearing a night guard while you rest. Night guards are otherwise called mouth guards, dental guards, bite splints, or nocturnal bite plates. They function by placing a barrier between your teeth. Once you grip your jaw, the night guard helps to lessen the pressure and offer pad to the muscles in the jaw. This padding not just assists with forestalling face and jaw pain, yet also shields the coating of your teeth. They look fundamentally the same as snoring remedies.

 

Night guards for TMJ or your teeth grinding habit can be bought over-the-counter without a prescription, just as directly from the dental specialist or cost adequately from a particular online retailer. There are a couple of various ways you can fit them, and the sort that will work best for you relies upon your individual needs.

 

Three Types of Night Guards

 

Soft Night Guard

The most common sort of mouth guard for teeth grinding habits is the soft night guard. It generally uses for mild or periodic cases, not for extreme teeth grinders.

Advantages: 

  • Most versatile and straightforward to get used to
  • The most comfortable fit of all the night guards
  • Typically, lower price

Downsides:

  • Some individuals unintentionally grip on to or bite the soft material
  • Not as solid and limited life expectancy
  • Guarantees are only six months or less because of the limited life-span
  • Not a long-term solution

 

Dual Laminate Night Guards

This kind of mouth guard for Bruxism is for moderately powerful teeth grinders. Dual laminate night guards are delicate within and solid on the outside.

Advantages: 

  • Handles weighty clenching and pounding
  • Longer lasting
  • Typically offers a more extended warranty than soft guards

Downsides:

  • Incline to be a little thicker than the other mouth guards
  • Seem to be more challenging to adjust to

Hard Night Guards

This type of mouth guard for teeth grinding are produced using acrylic and are incredibly rigid but durable. They can be used as a night guard for TMJ condition and for other severe cases of grinding.

Advantages: 

  • Most durable
  • Prevents teeth from moving
  • Typically offers the most extended warranty

Downsides:

  • Thicker than soft night guards
  • Trouble to get used to sleeping in
  • More uncomfortable than others
  • Need to be requested straightforwardly through dental specialist since a precise impression is required for fit
  • Can be more costly than the others

 

Tips to Help Adjust to Night Guards

  • Pick the thinnest possible mouth guard appropriate for you.
  • Use it for at least 4-6 weeks and develop a habit out of wearing it. After that, it should feel like an ordinary aspect of your daily schedule and will appear to be much simpler to wear.
  • Place it in just before you go to sleep. Please do not attempt to wear it before you are all set to bed; otherwise, it will merely feel obnoxious.

Fitting your Night Guard

The woman is wearing a nightguard to protect her teeth from grinding.Customizing the fit of your mouth guard will rely upon what brand you pick. Many of them utilize a similar procedure that is being used by snoring mouthpieces. The following are the different night guard fits for teeth grinding:

 

One-size-fits-all

You can go over-the-counter and purchase a night guard that is not a custom-fitted. These may function for the infrequent teeth grinder and are likely the lowest priced choice.

 

Boil and bite

With this sort of mouth guard, you boil in water and chew into it to have your impression. It usually is pretty easy to do and appear to be the most well-known kind out there.

 

Order on the web

You can order mouth guards on the web. The company you request from has you send your model or impression to them, and they mail back your fitted mouthpiece.

 

Produce in the lab

You can have night guards directly from your dental specialist. This offer is the most precise fit since they are made with your impression in a lab.

 

If you speculate you may experience the conditions of Bruxism, you can treat them by using night guards. However, it is always good to see a doctor for a checkup to find the main cause and fix that before seeking other treatment and to prevent worsening the conditions that can lead to TMJ disorder.

 

When to see a specialist

Look for medical attention if you have persistent discomfort or tenderness in your jaw, or if you completely cannot open or close your jaw. Your doctor, your dental specialist or a TMJ specialist can talk about potential causes and medicine and treatment for your problem.

 

Causes

The temporomandibular joint consolidates a pivot activity with sliding movements. The pieces of the bones that interact in the joint are secured with ligament and are isolated by a little shock-absorbing disk, typically keeps the action smooth. In many cases, notwithstanding, the cause of TMJ disorder is vague. Here are some conditions why TMJ disorder becomes painful.

  • The disk dissolves or acts out of its right alignment.
  • The cartilage of the joint is harmed by arthritis.
  • A blow or other impact can also damage the joint.

 

Factors that can influence TMJ condition

Influences that may increase the danger of creating TMJ disorders include:

  • Different kinds of arthritis, for example, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Jaw injury
  • Chronic grinding of teeth
  • Some connective tissue ailments that create problems that may influence the temporomandibular joint