Night Guards in Scarborough

A dental night guard is a mouthguard you wear to protect your mouth and teeth from the effects of tooth grinding during your sleep. If you snore or have sleep apnea, a mouthguard can help to lower your risk of complications caused by the condition. Schedule a visit to our dentist in Scarborough to discuss your nighttime needs and to find out if a night guard will benefit you.

Teeth Grinding Night Guard

If you grind or clench your teeth, you probably have a condition called bruxism. This is a sleep-related problem that creates tension in your jaw. The grinding or clenching in response to the tension causes pain in your teeth, jaw and gums, and can damage your teeth by breaking or wearing them down. All of this will affect the way you bite, chew, and speak, as well as having an impact on your appearance.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea Night Guard

Snoring is caused by soft tissue vibrations that happen in your upper airway. It can be disturbing to both the sleeper and others in the household, and it can lead to sleep apnea. This is a potentially serious disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly during your sleep. Your brain receives insufficient oxygen, which heightens your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, speak to our dentist in Scarborough about a night guard.

How a Night Guard Helps

Wearing a suitable mouthguard when you sleep will help to keep your top teeth separate from the bottom ones, so they don’t damage each other or cause you pain from the pressure. A custom-fitted night guard is more comfortable than a stock type, which can be difficult to keep in position and make you uncomfortable.

Wearing a mouthguard fitted by our dentist in Scarborough while you sleep can also help to stop you snoring. This lowers your chances of needing a CPAP machine to prevent or treat sleep apnea. The specialized type of night mouthguard doesn’t just cover your teeth—it pushes your lower jaw and tongue forward, which opens up your airway to give you better breathing ability.

The Benefit of Custom-Made Mouthguards

Many over-the-counter mouthguards claim to reduce snoring and sleep apnea, but most people find them uncomfortable to wear. They wake up having taken the appliance out of their mouth during sleep, which defeats the purpose of wearing it.

The main reason why custom-made mouthguards work, however, is because they are specially crafted to be a perfect fit for your mouth. This means they don’t move around in the night or cause you discomfort, so there’s no need to take them out.

You can even get a custom-fitted mouthguard that covers braces, if you need help for snoring or sleep apnea while wearing braces.

For more information about custom-fitted mouthguards, contact us at   (416) 291-3117 to schedule an appointment with our dentist in Scarborough.