A lot of things in life can cause headaches—traffic, annoying noises, caffeine withdrawal. But did you know that how you hold your jaw at night is one of them? Headaches are just one common sign of bruxism, a condition where you grind or clench your teeth, often unconsciously. This can lead to a variety of dental issues that could cost you a lot of time and money.
Fortunately, our TMJ dentist in Jamaica, Queens, offers a simple, cost-effective solution: the night guard. Below are several signs you could benefit from adding a night guard to your sleep routine.
#1: Sore Jaw or Headaches
One of the most common signs of bruxism is waking up with a sore jaw. Pain can also manifest in your temples or behind the eyes. This is because the constant clenching and grinding puts pressure on your jaw muscles. If you’re waking up in pain, something is wrong, so get checked out.
#2: Tired or Tight Jaw Muscles
Clenching or grinding your teeth in the night leaves your jaw muscles tired or tight. Symptoms of this in the daylight hours are difficulty opening and closing your mouth and soreness when chewing or talking. For some people, the muscles get so tight that they’re tender to the touch. This is the time to talk to our dentist at Jamaica Estates Dental.
#3: Ear Pain
Your temporomandibular joint is located close to the ear, and the muscles and ligaments that control that joint are connected to the ear canal. When you stress out that joint, those muscles and ligaments get inflamed, causing ear pain.
You can also put pressure on the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for sensation in the face and head. This causes referred pain in the ear. Night guards can help stop the source of the inflammation.
#4: Dental Problems
Constant grinding wears down the enamel on your teeth, exposing the underlying layer called dentin. Having exposed dentin can aggravate the nerves in your teeth, causing temperature sensitivity and pain. Grinding and clenching can also cause chips or fractures in your teeth.
If you notice that your teeth are sensitive to temperature, or if you’ve experienced several dental problems lately without a direct cause, it could be a sign that you’re grinding your teeth and could benefit from a custom night guard from our Jamaica office.
#5: Disrupted Sleep
Bruxism can ruin sleep both for you and your partner. Grinding can create loud noises that wake up you or your partner throughout the night. This can cause poor sleep quality and leave you feeling tired and irritable the next day.
Plus, having so much tension in your mouth, jaw, and face means that you aren’t totally relaxed when you’re sleeping. A night guard can help you relax, reduce disruptive noises, and improve your sleep.
Jamaica Estates Dental Makes Night Guards Just for You
If any of the above sound like what you’ve been going through, contact us to get a custom night guard made for you by our dentist in Jamaica, Queens. Night guards not only protect your teeth from damage but also force the muscles in your jaw to relax, resolving a number of symptoms. You don’t have to suffer from these mysterious ailments any longer. Get relief now.
