Do you wake up in the morning with immense tooth pain due to grinding? You shouldn’t ignore this problem! The tension in your jaw causes more issues than just tooth pain. Taking the steps to correct the tension can solve many health issues that you didn’t know were connected to your mouth! This blog will go over the top benefits of wearing a mouthguard and why you should protect yourself from this issue.
1. Prevents Tooth Damage
While one is asleep, one is usually not aware that teeth grinding is taking place. So you don’t have much control over it. The only solution is a mouthguard. A mouthguard helps ensure that your top and bottom teeth don’t make contact while sleeping. Teeth grinding can cause many problems to your teeth, one of them being the loss of tooth enamel. The loss of tooth enamel causes teeth to get overly sensitive. Grinding can also cause pre-existing fillings to become damaged. Damage to fillings will require another tooth filling procedure from your dentist. If your teeth grinding is hard enough, it can even cause your teeth to chip or even crack. Don’t let it get to this degree!
2. Reduced Jaw Tension & Pain
Another common thing people do without control is clench their jaw. When this happens, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) undergoes tension. When one’s jaw isn’t aligned correctly, it is referred to as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). This causes pain and discomfort in the long run. Wearing a mouthguard reduces both the jaw tension and pain caused by TMD. It will significantly reduce the stress that your muscles and jaw joints undergo while you sleep.
3. Prevent Headaches
You may wake up wondering why you have a headache; teeth grinding may be the answer. Our jaws are powerful, and they could put a lot of force on your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Your TMJ muscles can span to your cheeks, jaws, and head. This overworks your muscles to the point of throbbing headaches, and in many cases, migraine. Excessive grinding and clenching can also cause:
- Muscle fatigue
- Jaw aches
- Earaches
- Neck pain
Fortunately, having a custom-made mouthguard will help prevent all of these issues. They can even be made to help align your teeth for overbite or underbite to prevent jaw pain.
4. Provides Healthy Sleep Patterns
Grinding your teeth at night is a bad habit. Even though you’re doing it unwillingly, you go to sleep with the small stress of knowing that you will be grinding your teeth. While it would be great to be able to stop one’s grinding, there’s not much we can do to control ourselves. Mouthguards are the only solution that can help relieve discomfort while helping create a healthy sleep pattern. With your custom-made mouthguard, your muscles will be able to relax. In return, you will sleep stress-free and enjoy a better night’s sleep.
5. Prevent Snoring
While snoring may be a bigger problem for your roommate rather than yourself, it’s still important to address the issue! If you’re clenching your jaw while you sleep, it creates a breathing problem. Not breathing well while sleeping leads to snoring. However, if you have a mouth guard, your top and bottom jaws won’t be touching. Keeping your jaws away will increase the amount of air you breathe while sleeping. This helps improve airflow and decrease snoring!
6. Saves You Money
By wearing a mouth guard, you’re doing more than saving your teeth; you’re saving money as well! The damage that teeth-grinding causes can get costly! If you don’t attend to this problem, your teeth will get more and more damaged as the years go by. That’s why it’s best to look for a solution as soon as you notice the issue. If you’re able to catch it in the early stages, you’ll be able to save yourself some money down the road! Don’t let these bad habits cost you!
If you’re waking up with tooth and jaw pain, then maybe it’s time you get a custom mouthguard made for you! The best way to save yourself from financial loss and pain is by preventing the issue! We hope this blog helped you see the top benefits of wearing a mouthguard! If you grind your teeth and are ready to get your custom mouthguard, give Dental Arts San Diego a call at (619) 444-1001, or click here to book an appointment today.
