A night guard? I’d never thought about one!
You might recognise my name from SpaDental Plymouth, but I am writing this as a mother.
My son’s problem:
On a recent family holiday, I shared a hotel room with my children. Only then did I realise that the strange noise I had been hearing at home was my son grinding his teeth! The grinding was so intense that his teeth were actually squeaking!
I mentioned what I had heard to my son in the morning. He had no idea what he was doing. But when I took a look, I could see he was starting to wear his teeth down. The tell-tale sign is a shiny surface on the edge of the teeth – a slight flattening that becomes worse with time.
The solution:
On our return, I made my son an appointment with his dentist, Stephen Fletcher, who could see immediately that he was grinding his teeth.
Stephen took a dental impression, which was quick and easy. After only a few days wait for the gum shield to come back from the dental laboratory, my son was able to wear his night guard every night. It does not affect him sleeping at all and now I know if he grinds his teeth there will be no further wear on them. In fact, like many people, he sleeps more comfortably with a night guard because his jaw can relax better.
The night guard is easy to clean – he just uses his toothbrush under warm water and gently brushes inside. It comes in a protective plastic box so it can be kept safely when not in use, which is a good thing in a teenagers room!
If you feel that you grind or clench your teeth at night, or you think one of your children does, then please contact us.
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