Are Occlusal Guards Effective?

Teeth grinding at night can be commonly suffered issue. Sometimes the people who suffer from the issues of bruxism even don’t know about this. They realized about this when they start to see major dental issues. At early stages, the effects of night grinding may not be noticed but with time grinding may cause severe damage to the tooth surface and bite of mouth.

The extreme conditions of grinding can further cause destruction. Even when grinding is a common issue that may occur at night but sometimes it exceeds to occur during the day as well. The results of severe teeth grinding may lead to badly damaged teeth, sensitivity and aching jaw joints. When a patient observes signs of night grinding, guards can be a solution.

What are Occlusal Guards?

When signs of night grinding are observed, one must not delay visit to a dental clinic. Once diagnosed, Occlusal guards can be right solution. This is oral appliance which can be obtained at a dental clinic for issues of bruxism. It is available in different size and thickness and patient may buy one as per requirement.

There are three types of mouth guards:

• Custom made occlusal guards – These are crafted by taking the impression of patient’s teeth.
• Ready-made occlusal guards – These are available only in set sizes.
• Boil and Bite occlusal guards – These are guards which get softened when heated.

Occlusal Guards Are Effective For

These guards may not actually cure night guarding but they provide a right cushion to protect the teeth from further damage. It is a simple and effective treatment for bruxism. This is definitely better than other options like botox injections etc. It is effective because:

• It can protect the teeth from biting by providing a right cushion force; otherwise, it will open it to damage.
• It can protect the health of the jaw by reducing the damaging effect of teeth clenching.
• It can act as better protection for bruxism which can also save huge cost spend on other dental treatments.