Nightguard
A night guard is a plastic device that covers all of the upper or lower teeth. A night guard is used to prevent wear on the teeth caused by tooth grinding during sleep a medical condition known as Bruxism. Nightguards also help prevent TMJ and clenching disorders.
A Night Guard is a simple affordable solution for protecting your teeth and jaw from the detrimental effects of Bruxism. Nightguards consists of a moldable plastic mouth guard that comfortably fits over your upper teeth. The design creates a cushion between the upper and lower teeth that absorbs the force of grinding. Some Nightguards can be bought at a pharmacy; others require fabrication by a dental technician.
Over the counter plastic Nightguards use a material that is easily and precisely molded to your teeth using hot water and the entire fitting process takes less than 5 minutes.
The most common type of mouthgaurds are formed by injection-molding or vacuum forming and use polyester thermoplastic nylon hard acrylic and soft EVA. The cost of s Nightguard is around $25.00.
Fabricated Nightguards generally take two visits to the dentist. On the first visit an impression of your upper and lower teeth is made. These impressions are then sent to a dental laboratory to fabricate. On the second visit the night guard is adjusted for optimal fit. These appliances are specific to your mouth only and will not fit others.