Are Over the Counter Mouthguards Effective?

A large percentage of my patients either grind or clench their teeth at night or even during the day sometimes. This leads to premature enamel wear which is permanent damage to your teeth, weakening them, making them more cavity prone and sensitive to extreme temperatures. In addition, these habits cause a great amount of wear and tear on your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) as well as your head and neck muscles, often leading to chronic pain syndromes. These habits also lead to bone loss around your teeth with subsequent gum recession.

These habits are often during your sleep as a stress release and cannot be controlled. Most patients are familiar or have worn some type of nightguard to protect against these damages. Many over the counter nightguards do not fit properly and are not always comfortable to wear therefore leading to a low compliance rate in actually wearing them.

A dentist made custom fit nightguard if done properly will be exceptionally more comfortable therefore be worn and properly protect you. These are made on vacuum forming machines over a model of your teeth so instead of one size fits all, this will custom fit over every nook and cranny of your teeth properly.

Another critical factor is that a dentist needs to distinguish between whether you grind (back and forth) or clench (static forced closure).

The effects on your teeth , muscles and joints are different and the design of the appliance is very different as well. If the wrong design is used, your symptoms can actually worsen. So the bottom line is that you have a lot at stake and being penny wise and pound foolish is not recommended when it comes to your health. 

For more information, you can contact Dr. Michael Krochak at

drk@nycsmilespa.com

NYC Smile Spa

30 E. 60th St., Rm 1201

New York, NY 10022

(212) 838-2900

Relax and smile!