The Multifaceted Benefits of Night Guards: Beyond TMJ Relief

Typically, people think of using a night guard for TMJ. Of course, pain is a motivating trigger to seek help! Temporomandibular disorders have increased since the pandemic, according to the American Dental Association, by over 70%. Sometimes these disorders can show up as earaches, but most often they appear as jaw pain. Placing a night guard relieves pressure in the temporomandibular joint leading to better stress relief, and more sound sleep.

A lesser-known fact is that the night guard also helps to reduce snoring and mild sleep apnea by slightly opening the mouth’s vertical dimension, thus moving the tongue away from the back of the throat where it impedes the passage of air, which leads to snoring and apnea. It is also possible to construct the night guard with a ramp made of acrylic that forces the lower jaw forward 3 to 5 mm, which moves the jaw even further away from the back of the throat, leading to more relief of snoring and sleep apnea.

The reason almost everyone can benefit from the use of a night guard is that it protects our tooth structure from cracking, our enamel from chipping, our gums from receding, and preserves our dental work. Properly constructed night guards are firm in the material, and when worn regularly, they relieve stress on the teeth of the entire arch, upper or lower; they tie these teeth together in a splint fashion to resist flexing or bending during bruxism, clenching, and grinding. Without the night guard splinting the teeth together, they can flex and bend beyond their biological tolerance point, which causes the tooth structure at the gum line to fracture away in microscopic pieces, which overtime leads to severe gum recession and weakness of the teeth to the point where the tooth literally can break apart at the gum line. A well-constructed night guard can avoid this trauma. Watch out for symptoms like worn tooth enamel, increased pain or sensitivity, flattened, fractured, loose, or chipped teeth, and tight or sore jaw muscles. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may benefit from a night guard.