Nightguards in San Diego, CA

Standing Guard Over Your Teeth at Night With Mouthguards

Bruxism is a major problem for a lot of people, and it can lead to needing mouthguards at night. Without mouthguards, a lot of damage can happen to your teeth. Understanding why this happens, how it happens, and how nightguards can prevent the damage is important to your overall oral health.

What Is Bruxism, Why Does It Happen, and How Do Nightguards Help?

Bruxism is the medical term for clenching your jaw really hard and/or grinding your teeth while you sleep. There's a good chance you suffer from bruxism if you have ever awakened with a headache, cheek pain, or jaw pain. The cause of bruxism isn't fully understood, although people who are very stressed out or experience intense anxiety report having bruxism episodes more often than people who are calm.

People who go to bed really angry already have their jaws clenched. This may continue through the night if the cause of the anger is unresolved. If you have dreams where you feel anxious, worried, tense, nervous, or angry, you might clench and grind your teeth too. It's difficult to get to the heart of the cause of bruxism for all patients affected by it, but emotion has a lot to do with it.

Physical malformations of the jaws may also be responsible. The teeth are trying to fit together as they are meant to but can't. You could spend thousands on major orthodontia, but mouthguards cost less and are easier to wear.

Diagnosing Bruxism and Prescribing Nightguards

Bruxism creates small fractures in your teeth that may be visible to Dr. Flores with the naked eye or with dental instruments and X-rays. Dr. Flores is an expert at spotting when a patient grinds their teeth at night. The visible wearing down of the molars is most noticeable. Patients who clench and grind are frequently the ones in need of crowns earlier in life too.

After Dr. Flores diagnoses your bruxism, she prescribes a custom set of nightguards that you wear to bed every night. It is also recommended that if you lay down for regular naps during the day that you wear the nightguards then too. Following her instructions will help prevent your teeth from splintering and fracturing and keep them from wearing down too quickly.

Schedule an Appointment for Mouthguards With Dr. Flores in San Diego, CA

Dr. Flores works in our office in San Diego, CA. Please schedule an appointment with her today to see if you need any nighttime guards and find out if you have bruxism.