Dealing with teeth grinding while you have braces? You’re not alone.
Poor tooth alignment can contribute to grinding, and getting braces doesn’t always solve the nighttime grinding problem right away. If you’re wearing braces but still grinding your teeth at night, here’s what you should know about using a night guard.
Athletes with braces often use dental guards when competing in contact sports. But is it okay for you to use nighttime dental devices while still having braces? Keep reading to learn about night guard braces and find the right one for you.
What are braces?
Braces are orthodontic devices that are used to align and straighten misaligned teeth to facilitate chewing. An orthodontist creates a personalized orthodontic treatment plan to correct your bite by controlling the movement of your teeth.
Using dental bonding material, the metal contraptions are adhered to the teeth surfaces. As they are tightened, they help the teeth move to their desired positions, helping the teeth align properly.
They are used to correct underbites, overbites, open bites, uneven gaps, crossbites, crooked teeth, and other forms of malocclusion (where the upper and lower teeth do not fit together well).
What is bruxism?
Bruxism is a condition where a patient involuntarily grinds their teeth and clenches their jaws. It can happen when you are awake but is common during sleep. Overall, studies have found that it affects roughly 22.22% of the global population.
Sleep bruxism is a sleep-related disorder, according to The Sleep Foundation. Nighttime teeth grinding can be detrimental to one’s health as it can cause tooth pain and damage, facial pain, headaches, and even jaw-related issues.
While bruxism doesn’t directly cause sleep apnea, it can be a resulting factor of it. If you grind your teeth at night, you are more likely to have other sleep disorders like sleep apnea (snoring with pauses in breathing).
What are night guards?
Mouth guards are teeth appliances that are used to cover teeth for various protective purposes. For instance, sports mouthguards are used to protect the teeth from sports-related injuries, especially when playing contact sports like wrestling, boxing, or football.
Some individuals also use mouthguards to help improve bruxism. You can place this appliance in your mouth in the upper teeth and lower teeth every night to protect your teeth from wear and tear from the unwanted stresses during grinding. This is called a night guard.
Night guards are actually a type of mouthguard designed specifically for nighttime use.
Sports mouth guards protect your teeth during activities like football or hockey, while night guards are made to address teeth grinding and jaw clenching while you sleep.
Types of night guard
Dental guards for teeth grinding can be hard or soft depending on their specific needs. Based on the type of material they are made from, night guards can be classified into three different types:
- Hard night guards: These guards are made with acrylic materials. They are often recommended for people who excessively grind their top teeth with their bottom teeth at night. Due to their hardness, they are pretty durable.
- Soft night guards: These guards are made with rubbery and flexible materials such as soft plastic. These work well for people who grind their teeth lightly to moderately. They are more flexible than other guards, perfect for accommodating braces.
- Dual-laminated night guards: These nighttime guards combine the properties of the hard and soft guards. Their outer surface is made with harder acrylic, whereas the inner portion is softer. They can withstand significant grinding force.
Can you wear a night guard with braces?
A common misconception is that wearing a night guard can damage your braces. However, this cannot be farther from the truth. Yes, you can absolutely wear a night guard over braces.
You may experience discomfort while wearing braces and the fixed placement of the brackets and wires can make your teeth more prone to grinding forces. Night guards can act as a protective barrier to protect your braces from harming your teeth.
Following braces treatment, you are recommended to wear a retainer to prevent your teeth positions from relapsing. Fortunately, you can still wear a night guard even with your retainers on.
The best night guard options for braces
While there is no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to night guard braces, there are certain considerations to keep in mind when choosing the perfect mouth guard for braces, especially for you.
You can find affordable over-the-counter night guards at a drug store or through online retailers like Amazon.com.
- Custom-fit night guards: They are made by a dentist. These are specially designed to conform to your mouth precisely and frame your braces snugly. You should get a custom-fit night guard for bruxism regardless of the severity, whether it is mild grinding or severe teeth clenching.
- Boil-and-bite night guards: You can pick up these budget-friendly guards at any drugstore or order them online. Simply heat them up in hot water until they’re soft, then bite down gently to mold them around your braces for a better fit
- Double arch night guards: This is a special kind of mouthguard for braces. They cover both the upper and lower teeth, fully protecting the teeth and braces from damage.
- Silicone night guards: They are made of softer silicone material and are more comfortable than hard plastic guards. They may be a good option for people with braces.
- Clear aligner trays: If you’re using Invisalign or similar clear aligners, you might be able to use your regular aligner trays as night guards too, giving you both teeth straightening and grinding protection.
Braces mouthguard and its benefits
If you habitually clench your teeth, it is important to wear a night guard over your braces (either upper or lower teeth, or both) because it can help:
- Prevent plaque development: A nighttime guard has holes to allow the normal flow of saliva onto your teeth. Saliva is essential in neutralizing the acids produced by the oral bacteria and in washing away the food particles that cause cavities.
- Prevent excessive friction: It is designed to protect the teeth surfaces from grinding into each other. So, while the braces help shift the position of your teeth, the guard will prevent the bite from changing.
- Prevent other disorders: Headaches, tensed shoulders, pain in the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), and sore jaws can all be outcomes of bruxism. A nighttime guard will help keep away all these problems.
- Improve sleep quality: Regular grinding can negatively impact sound sleep. Wearing a night teeth guard can help reduce teeth grinding and clenching. It can also open your airways, reducing the incidence of snoring.
- Prevent tooth damage: Sometimes clenching with excessive force can cause your teeth to crack or chip, causing tooth pain. A night teeth guard can help protect your teeth.
Night guards for teeth grinding for brace wearers
Experts remark that it is okay for you to wear a night guard for moderate to severe bruxism despite ongoing braces treatment. However, it is important that you only wear custom-made night guards to keep them from interfering with your braces.
Your dentist can help you determine the right night guard for your specific needs. Contact your dental practitioner to know more.
