Night Guard

If you clench or grind your teeth at night, you should consider wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth while you sleep. At Hale Family Dental, we can make you a custom-designed night guard to perfectly fit and protect your teeth.

What are night guards used for?

Bruxism is the technical term for teeth grinding, or when one forcefully bites down on their own teeth or grinds the teeth back and forth. It usually occurs as a result of significant stress and anxiety in one’s daily life. Your teeth are strong; however, they can become worn down or even cracked when put under a lot of force.

Teeth grinding can happen while you are awake or asleep. Those who experience it during sleep may not even be aware they are doing it because they are unconscious. You may be grinding your teeth at night if you experience:

• A sore jaw

• Waking up with a dull headache

• Fatigue from lack of sleep

• Facial pain

Types of night guards

Fortunately, night guards are a simple treatment to stop bruxism and protect your teeth. Types of night guards include:

• One-size-fits-all night guard.  These can found at any drugstore and they are inexpensive, but they typically don’t fit well and don’t last long.

• Boil-and-bite night guard. This night guard is submerged in hot water then bit into to mold it to your teeth. They will fit better than a one-size-fits-all night guard, however their soft material will wear down quickly.

• Custom-fit night guard. These are made in a dental lab using impressions of your own teeth.

Custom night guards

To have a night guard designed just for you, we will make a mold of your teeth and send the impressions to our dental lab. There, they will create a mouth guard to perfectly fit your teeth, made of durable materials to last for years.

Stop by or call Hale Family Dental to learn more about our custom-made night guards!