Is bruxism causing you to grind and clench your teeth while you’re asleep? If so, a nightguard could help protect your smile from the worst of the damage. There are two main kinds of nightguards you can get: professional ones provided by a dentist and over-the-counter ones bought at a store. Which option is right for you? To help you find the answer to this question, here’s a closer look at the differences between professional and over-the-counter nightguards.
How Do Nightguards Work?
A nightguard is meant to be placed over your teeth right before you go to bed. Its purpose is to prevent your upper and lower rows of teeth from making direct contact with each other. That way, even if you grind and clench your teeth while you’re asleep, the nightguard will prevent it from doing unnecessary damage to your enamel.
How are Professional Nightguards Different from Over-the-Counter Ones?
A professional nightguard is made with your unique smile in mind. It’s designed based on impressions of your teeth, and it’s created at a dental laboratory using high-quality materials. When you receive your professional nightguard, your dentist will perform a last-minute check to make sure that it fits as well as possible.
Meanwhile, over-the-counter nightguards you can buy at pharmacies often come pre-formed, meaning they don’t always fit comfortably in every mouth. That said, there are also boil-and-bite nightguards that you can bite down on after they have been softened with heat, molding them to the shape of your teeth.
Should You Get a Professional Nightguard or an Over-the-Counter Nightguard?
An over-the-counter nightguard is often cheaper and doesn’t require any dental appointments. However, there’s a significant chance that it may not fit properly, which can make it uncomfortable to wear. On top of that, over-the-counter nightguards tend to wear out faster, so it may not be too long before you need to pay for another one.
In contrast, a professional nightguard comes with a higher price tag, but this is balanced out by the fact that it can be customized to fit perfectly on your teeth, resulting in better comfort and more effective protection. And due to the high-quality materials it’s made of, you can expect it to last for many years at a time.
In short, the advantages of a professional nightguard can make it well worth the investment. As such, if you’re concerned that bruxism may be putting your smile at risk, asking your dentist for a professional nightguard can be an excellent decision.
About the Practice
At Blue Coast Dental Group, our dentists and specialists work together to bring comprehensive, state-of-the-art care to patients of all ages in Torrance. We offer a wide range of personalized solutions for a variety of oral health issues; for example, we can provide professional nightguards for protection against bruxism. If you suspect that you’re grinding or clenching your teeth at night, you can schedule a consultation with our team by visiting our website or calling (310) 424-3100.