Bite Guards and Night Guards

Do you wake up frequently with a sore mouth, a headache or even tooth pain? You might be suffering from Bruxism (teeth grinding) which affects up to 15% of adults in the UK. The best way to negate the effects of this is with a dental bite guard, which you wear when you sleep, preventing your teeth from grinding during the night.

At Benson Dental we routinely have to help our patients with their teeth-grinding woes. We help create perfectly-fitting bite guards which are made to be as comfortable as possible to wear when sleeping. Whilst it will always take some time to adjust to wearing a bite guard at night, it’s always worth wearing one to prevent permanent damage which can occur to your teeth.

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is a common problem which causes excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. It affects between 8-31% of the general population, and is something we routinely see at Benson Dental. It can cause severe wear of teeth, leading to hyper-sensitivity, aching jaws, headaches and even significant cosmetic damage to the appearance of your smile. It’s affects don’t just happen overnight (well, they do when you’re sleeping!) but occur over years of grinding, causing permanent damage which can be easily prevented.

Awake bruxism does occur, and did you know that it is more common in females. Whereas males and females are affected equally by sleep bruxism.

So why do we grind our teeth? The main reason is stress, worries or concerns in our subconscious mind can lead to clenching of teeth at night. The other big reason is down to plain old genetics, some people are just born to be teeth grinders and no lifestyle changes can help.

Now bruxism is made more likely by certain lifestyle habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking and even ingesting a large amount of coffee. But reducing these will not only reduce the effects of bruxism, but also improve almost every area of your oral health and well-being.

How do bite guards work?

If you come to your dentist for help with Bruxism you’ll most likely be advised to get a bite guard. Bite guards (also called night guards) prevent further premature wear on your teeth due to bruxism. Now these guards will be worn whilst you sleep, which may seem daunting at first, but nearly all patients we see get used to them pretty quickly.

The bite guard is a simple device which fits into your mouth and prevents your teeth from touching each other. The bite guards we offer are made in such a way so they are comfortable, resists tears, are durable and easy to clean. They are made in a way which doesn’t restrict your breathing or speech.

What’s import however is to ensure you get your bite guard fitted by the right dentist, to ensure comfort whilst sleeping. At Benson Dental our bite guards are made perfectly using a mould of your teeth and overseen by an expert dental professional.

How are bite guards made?

An initial consultation with one of our expert dentists begins your journey to getting your very own bite guard. Your dentist will assess and examine your teeth, to ensure that it is a bite guard that you need and that your symptoms aren’t being cause by something else.

Your dentist will then carefully take an impression of your teeth, which is then sent off to one of our dental laboratories. Here your night guard will be expertly crafted and sent back to your dentist, which will be checked to ensure it fits properly. And that’s it, you take it home with you and put it in when you sleep, preventing further permanent damage on your teeth.