Why do I need a night guard?
The short answer
A night guard is a shield for your teeth while you sleep. It doesn't usually stop grinding, but it takes the wear and spreads out the pressure, so your teeth, fillings, and crowns don't take the brunt. It's most worth it when grinding is already damaging your teeth or dental work.
What a night guard does
It's a thin, custom-fit tray, usually made of hard plastic, that covers the biting surfaces of your upper or lower teeth. When you grind, your teeth slide against the guard instead of each other.
- It protects teeth from wearing down, chipping, and cracking.
- It protects dental work, such as crowns, veneers, and large fillings, which can chip or break under grinding forces.
- It may ease morning jaw soreness for some people.
- It usually doesn't stop the grinding itself. Research hasn't shown that guards reduce grinding, but they can reduce the damage it does.
Common reasons it's recommended
- Teeth that are worn, chipped, or cracked from grinding
- New crowns, veneers, or implants that need protecting
- Jaw muscle soreness or headaches when you wake up. See Will it help my jaw pain or headaches?
- Fillings or crowns that keep breaking
If you're not sure you grind at all, see I don't think I grind my teeth. Why do I need one?
How your dentist decides
Your dentist looks at how much wear there is, whether it's getting worse, what dental work you have, and whether you have symptoms. Mild wear with no symptoms may just be watched. Heavy or worsening wear, broken teeth, or new crowns to protect are stronger reasons for a guard. If you've had a guard before, how it's worn shows your dentist how hard you grind.
What if I wait?
Grinding damage is slow, but it adds up and doesn't grow back. Over years, worn teeth can get shorter and more sensitive, and cracked teeth may need crowns or more. Here's what can happen if you skip it →
Questions to ask
- What damage are you seeing, and can you show me?
- Is this mild wear we could watch, or is it getting worse?
- Do any of my crowns or fillings need protecting?
- Should the guard be for my upper or lower teeth, and hard or soft? Why?
- Before we schedule, can I get my cost in writing? (A predetermination if I'm using insurance, or a good faith estimate if I'm paying myself.)
When a second opinion makes sense
Reasonable if you can't see any wear or damage and have no symptoms, or if a guard is recommended alongside a lot of other new work at once.