Should You Wear Your Dental Night Guard During the Day?

If you have a dental night guard for bruxism, better known as teeth grinding, wearing it will help protect your smile from damage such as chips, cracks, and worn-down teeth. The appliance can also prevent potential TMJ issues which can impact your oral health and appearance.

While a night guard can certainly protect your smile when you are sleeping, what happens during the day when you clench or grind your teeth? While you may not need to wear a large night guard during the day, you may benefit from wearing a more discreet protective oral appliance in the daytime to protect your smile.

So should you wear your night guard during the day? Here is what you need to know about daytime teeth grinding and how to prevent damage to your teeth and gums.

Daytime vs. Nighttime Teeth Grinding

Both daytime and nighttime bruxism can impact your smile. During the day, bruxism is typically considered semi-voluntary. This means you may be aware of clenching or grinding your teeth, or you may not be.

Daytime teeth clenching and grinding, also known as diurnal bruxism, has been linked to daily stressors at home or work [1]. Diurnal bruxism may be more common than nighttime bruxism and typically consists of silent clenching rather than audible teeth grinding [2].

Wearing a daytime guard can help bring awareness of teeth clenching and grinding and help people break the habit by gradually deprogramming the brain [3]. Once you are aware of the practice of clenching or grinding your teeth - which is what a daytime occlusal guard can do - you can help modify the behavior and protect your teeth.

Potential Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard During the Day

Of course, wearing a bulky mouthguard is never desirable, day or night. Fortunately, night guards need not be large or bulky, and neither do daytime ones.

If you would benefit from a daytime mouth guard, your dentist can custom make a smaller guard or splint for you. These smaller, more discreet guards are easy to wear and remove during the day, are less visible, and are more permissible of oral function.

The benefits of wearing a mouthguard for daytime bruxism include:

• Preventing grinding and damage to teeth
• Reducing muscle tension around the jaw joints
• Stopping headaches associated with bruxism
• Alleviating jaw stiffness and limited range of motion
• Preventing the need for restorative dental work

Not every patient who grinds their teeth will need to wear a daytime guard, and those that do generally won’t need to wear them long-term. The goal is to bring awareness to teeth grinding and clenching habits, so you can consciously stop doing them and save your smile.

At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, we custom craft occlusal guards to wear for both daytime and nighttime. These appliances help protect teeth from the immense force exerted during episodes of clenching and grinding. A dental orthotic helps hold your jaw in its correct position to protect your teeth and support a pain-free smile.

How to Know If You Suffer From Daytime Bruxism

If you are a bruxer, you will experience some side effects, especially if you grind your teeth regularly or have a long-term habit of teeth clenching and grinding.

 The common signs and symptoms to be aware of for bruxism include [4]:

• Sensitive teeth
• Damaged dental restorations, including crowns, implants, and bridges
• Worn-down teeth or unusual wear on teeth
• Jaw stiffness or muscle soreness in the face
• Headaches
• Gum recession
• Clicking, popping, or unusual sounds from your temporomandibular joints (TMJ)

Patients can experience any number of the aforementioned symptoms regardless of whether it is day or night. While you may not notice if you have either type of bruxism, it’s more likely that you would notice if you are a daytime clencher or grinder. Nighttime bruxism, on the other hand, has manifesting symptoms in the morning when a person is waking up. Of course, your dentist can help identify signs of bruxism during your appointment and help with personalized treatment.

Do You Suffer from Bruxism?

If you experience symptoms of bruxism, it is essential to protect your smile from damage with a nightguard or a daytime occlusal guard. Dr. Marlin at Elite Prosthetic Dentistry will work with you to customize your appliances for either nighttime or daytime based on your specific needs. Teeth grinding can contribute to TMJ dysfunction and may require comprehensive treatment beyond night guards. Contact us today to start protecting your smile and reducing the side effects of teeth clenching and grinding.

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3081266/
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0097840X.1982.9936845?journalCode=vzhs20
3. https://www.aaom.com/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D129:tooth-clenching-or-grinding%26catid%3D22:patient-condition-information%26Itemid%3D120
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482466/