You may be wondering how a piece of plastic is supposed to relieve the pain and damage that night grinding, or bruxism, can cause. In fact, night guards have been shown to be extremely helpful tools for protecting your teeth from the harmful, night grinding forces.

The first thing to understand about night guards is that they are there to protect your teeth and will not actually prevent the grinding or clenching itself. Bruxism is usually caused by an underlying condition. See our tips on relieving stress for better sleep for more information on how to alleviate the root causes of non-specific bruxism.

Once you have identified sleep bruxism as the cause of your symptoms, the next step is preventing the potential damage to your teeth.

The most damaging consequence of night grinding is the deterioration of tooth enamel.

Teeth are covered in a layer of dentin, which protects the nerve endings and blood vessels underneath; dentin is in turn covered by a harder substance called enamel.

When under chronic stress, the muscles in the jaw tenses and tightens during sleep. This clenches the teeth together, sometimes resulting in a grinding motion that grates the upper and lower rows against each other.

Persistent, untreated bruxism can result in deterioration of the enamel all the way through the dentin, compromising the integrity of your teeth and often resulting in excruciating pain. If the damage is allowed to persist, the affected teeth may even need to be removed by a dentist.

This is where the night guard comes into play, saving both your teeth and the expenses of painful dental work!

An effective night guard will consistently prevent grinding from further harming your teeth.

Human jaws are capable of exerting a formidable amount of force -- up to around 1,300 Newtons -- which, when taking our skull size into account, is comparatively more than any of our primate relatives.

Night guards absorb and disperse this force, protecting the enamel in your teeth from wearing down. Having this barrier between teeth can also relieve the tension in your jaw muscles from clenching so hard. The clenching is typically what lies behind symptoms like facial pain or, in severe cases, lockjaw.

Choosing a night guard

So now that you know how night guards work, it’s time to pick the one that’s right for you. When deciding on a night guard to relieve your bruxism symptoms, you have a number of options to choose from.

Stock Mouth Guards

This is the cheapest option for a night guard, but not necessarily the best. Although they may be convenient, stock mouth guards are often bulky and uncomfortable. Because they are not specifically designed for night grinding and often of crude construction, they can throw of the alignment of your teeth, which may worsen bruxism and cause more pain.

Dental Made Custom Fit

Custom fit mouthguards tend to be thinner than their conventional counterparts. Although it is tempting to settle for the thickest guard, assuming that it would provide the most amount of cushioning for dispelling the force of your crashing mandibles, a thicker mouth guard can actually do more harm than good.

The benefit of a custom mouth guard is that it will be more comfortable when formed to the bite of the wearer. In some cases this type of guard can even improve tooth alignment, something that a bulky mouth guards might actually disturb.

Some of the most frequently recommended custom-fit mouth guards require professional fitting, impressions, long wait times and can be costly (up to $700).

No Impression Custom Fit

The next best alternative to a custom dental made guard is a newer type of technology that gives you a custom fit without impressions. They are made from a perforated material that allows water and air to pass through with ease and durability for optimal dental protection. They are available online and in some drugstores at an affordable price. (Up to $45)

Remember that no matter which type of night guard you choose, you should replace it according to the recommendations in order to prevent future damage to your teeth.

Bruxism is not easy to overcome, and there is no silver bullet solution. If you choose to wear a night guard, be sure keep the underlying causes of bruxism in mind. Alongside wearing a guard, reduce the impact of stress in your life and protect those pearly whites!

If you suffer or have suffered from bruxism, we want to hear from you! What worked? What didn’t? In case you tried the SOVA Guard, write to us and let us know how we can improve our product.