At Dr. Brian LaBombard, DMD, Dr. Brian LaBombard and his staff offer night guards and other dental appliances to help you sleep more soundly and to keep you from worrying about damaging your teeth. If you or your child has problems sleeping due to grinding your teeth call or schedule an appointment online with Dr. LaBombard. His office serves the Austin, Texas, area and nearby communities.
book onlineWhat are the benefits of wearing a night guard?
Night guards help adults keep the structures of the jaw in their natural position, reducing the risk of snoring and sleep apnea.
The way it works is simple: A night guard keeps your jaws stabilized as you sleep, keeps you from grinding your teeth, and prevents unnecessary pressure from being placed on your jaws.
This is especially helpful when you’re in a deep sleep. While in the dream state, many people tend to clench their teeth tightly. This results in small cracks and fissures in the surface of your teeth. Having a night guard helps prevent that from happening.
What causes people to grind their teeth?
Grinding teeth poses a problem for many individuals, children and adults alike. Dr. LaBombard attributes teeth grinding to several different causes, including:
- High levels of stress
- Misalignment of the jaw or teeth
- Reactions to dreams or nightmares during deep sleep
- Pressure on the teeth and jaw caused by how you sleep
While the cause of the grinding is as individual as the person who experiences it, the results are often the same. Excessive grinding can wear away the tops of the molars and can cause cracks and fissures to form, leading to cavities and other forms of potential damage.
Can night guards treat sleep apnea?
Night guards that stabilize the lower jaw and hold it in its natural position can effectively treat cases of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when the jaw and the tongue drift backward toward your throat, blocking your airway and preventing you from breathing normally.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, your jaw and tongue can drift backward during sleep, blocking your airway. A night guard is designed to hold the jaw in place, preventing it and the soft tissues of the mouth from falling backward as you sleep. As you age, we monitor how your night guard fits so that you’re always getting the best possible results.