Enamel does not grow back, and the two fastest ways to lose it are grinding it away at night and taking a puck to the mouth. Both are preventable with an appliance that costs a fraction of what repairing the damage costs.

These are two different guards for two different problems. Here is what each one does.

How to tell if you grind

Most people who grind in their sleep have no idea they do it. A partner hears it, or we see it on the teeth years before the patient feels anything. The signs:

• Waking with a sore or tired jaw, or a dull headache around the temples
• Teeth that are flattening at the edges, or front teeth that have got visibly shorter
• Unexplained tooth sensitivity, particularly to cold
• Fillings and crowns that keep chipping or coming loose
• Hairline cracks visible in the enamel
• Clicking or tenderness in the jaw joint
• A ridge of hard tissue along the inside of the lower jaw, or scalloped edges along the sides of the tongue

We check for these at every examination, which is usually how it gets found.

What causes it

Bruxism is multifactorial and the honest answer is that the cause is often not identified with certainty. Stress and anxiety are the most commonly recognised contributors. Sleep-disordered breathing is a significant one. Certain medications, including some antidepressants, can trigger or worsen it, as can caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational stimulants. Bite problems play a smaller role than was once believed.

Before we make you a guard, we will ask about your sleep

Sleep bruxism is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. If you grind at night and also snore, wake unrefreshed, have morning headaches, or feel sleepy during the day, the grinding may be part of a larger picture.

That matters because a night guard protects your teeth without addressing sleep apnea, which is a medical condition with consequences well beyond your mouth. We will ask, and where the answers point that way we will suggest you discuss it with your physician or a sleep clinic. Fitting the guard and saying nothing would be the easier appointment and the worse care.

What a night guard actually does

Be clear on this, because it is commonly misunderstood. A night guard does not stop you grinding. It is a physical barrier that takes the wear instead of your teeth.

The grinding continues. What changes is what gets destroyed: a replaceable piece of acrylic rather than irreplaceable enamel, your fillings, your crowns, and in severe cases the teeth themselves. Many patients also find the jaw muscle soreness and morning headaches improve, because the guard changes how the jaw closes and can reduce the intensity of clenching, but that is a secondary benefit rather than the purpose.

If the underlying cause is stress, sleep apnea, or a medication, that is worth addressing separately. The guard buys your teeth time either way.

Hard or soft?

For grinding and clenching, we make a hard acrylic guard. This is the standard appliance and the reasoning is straightforward: hard acrylic resists grinding forces, lasts years, and lets the jaw slide across the surface rather than gripping it.

Soft guards are comfortable on the first night and are the wrong tool for bruxism. Soft material compresses under load, which in some patients increases muscle activity rather than reducing it, and heavy grinders chew through a soft guard in months. If you have been given a soft guard for grinding elsewhere and it has holes in it, that is why.

There are cases where a softer or dual-laminate material is appropriate, usually for light clenchers or patients who cannot tolerate hard acrylic. We will tell you which applies to you rather than making the same appliance for everyone.

Why not the drugstore one?

A boil-and-bite guard from a pharmacy is bulky, imprecise, and made of soft material, which puts it wrong on all three counts for grinding. It also does not cover the teeth evenly, and a guard that contacts only some teeth can allow the others to move over months, changing your bite.

A custom guard is made from a scan of your own teeth, covers every tooth evenly, is thin enough to sleep in, and lasts years rather than weeks.

Who needs one

Anyone playing a sport where a ball, a stick, an elbow, or the ground can reach their face. That includes the obvious ones, hockey, football, rugby, lacrosse, boxing and martial arts, and the ones people do not think about: basketball, soccer, skateboarding, mountain biking, gymnastics, and squash.

A sports guard absorbs and spreads the force of an impact across all the teeth rather than letting it land on one, and it puts a barrier between your teeth and your lips, cheeks, and tongue. It protects against chipped and knocked-out teeth and against the soft tissue lacerations that come from teeth being driven into the lip.

If you wear braces, a mouthguard matters more, not less. An impact drives brackets and wires into the inside of the lip, and the damage to the appliance can set treatment back months.

Midpark Dental charges the Alberta Dental Association Fee Guide, which publishes a standard fee for every procedure code in the province.

A custom night guard is more expensive than a drugstore appliance and considerably cheaper than the damage it prevents. A single crown to repair a cracked molar generally costs several times what the guard does, and a heavy grinder does not crack one tooth.

Many insurance plans cover night guards, often under a separate category from routine dental work and sometimes with a frequency limit of one every few years. We check your coverage and submit it for you. Sports mouthguards are less commonly covered, and we will tell you which applies before you commit.

Can I use my sports mouthguard as a night guard?

No. A sports guard is bulky, made of soft material designed to absorb a single large impact, and it will not survive sustained grinding. It is also uncomfortable to sleep in. The two appliances do different jobs.

Will a night guard stop me grinding my teeth?

No. It protects your teeth from the grinding rather than stopping the habit. The appliance takes the wear instead of your enamel. Many patients do find their jaw soreness and morning headaches improve, but the primary purpose is protection.

Should a night guard be hard or soft?

For grinding and clenching, hard acrylic is the standard. Soft material compresses, can increase muscle activity in some patients, and wears through quickly. Softer options suit some light clenchers, and we will tell you which is appropriate for you.

How much does a night guard cost in Calgary?

Midpark Dental charges the Alberta Dental Association Fee Guide. Many insurance plans cover night guards, sometimes with a frequency limit, and we check your coverage and submit the claim for you. A guard costs a fraction of repairing a cracked tooth.

How long does a night guard last?

Typically several years with a hard acrylic guard, though a heavy grinder will go through one faster. Bring it to your checkups and we will tell you when it needs replacing. Holes, cracks, or a guard that no longer seats firmly mean it has stopped protecting you.

Can I just buy one from the drugstore?

You can, and for grinding it is a poor substitute. Drugstore guards are soft, bulky, and imprecise, and a guard that covers some teeth unevenly can allow others to shift over time. A custom guard is thinner, fits every tooth, and lasts years instead of months.

I grind my teeth and I snore. Does that matter?

Yes, and it is worth raising. Sleep bruxism is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. If you also wake unrefreshed, have morning headaches, or feel sleepy during the day, tell us. We will still protect your teeth, and we will suggest you discuss the sleep side with your physician.

How often do children need a new sports mouthguard?

Usually every season. A growing mouth outgrows a guard, and one that no longer seats properly offers less protection than it appears to.

Does a mouthguard protect against concussion?

Mouthguards reliably protect teeth and soft tissue. The evidence for concussion prevention is not strong, and we will not claim it. Wear one for your teeth, and wear the right helmet for your head.

Midpark Dental, 201-239 Midpark Way SE. Digital scan, no impression tray, insurance billed directly. Call (403) 201-7999.