Maybe this has happened to you: you wake up and immediately feel a headache. Or, you've noticed your jaw is a little sore, or perhaps you've even had chipped or lose teeth. These are common signs of bruxism—or teeth grinding. Thankfully, your dentist and dental hygienist are trained to look for signs of bruxism and help you with treatment. They may recommend a mouthguard to wear at night, an easy way to protect your teeth from damage from grinding and clenching.
Nightguards have many names. They are also called mouthguards, occlusal guards, dental guards, bite splints, or nocturnal bite plates. They are retainer-like soft or hard plastic pieces that cover either the top or bottom set of teeth. Nightguards are popular treatments for sleep bruxism. Nightguards cushion your teeth from the force of clenching and prevent the teeth from grinding together, preventing headaches, damaged teeth, and inflamed gums.
Learn about sleep bruxism and its characteristic signs and symptoms, and the popular forms of treatment recommended by dentists, including night guards.