1. Sleep Better
Many mouth guards prescribed for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are worn primarily at night. While you may be able to stop the teeth grinding and clenching that accompany TMJ during the day, you can't consciously do so when you're asleep. A mouth guard worn at night can allay the majority of joint stress behaviors to your health's benefit.
The first thing you might notice after wearing an effective mouth or bite guard for a while is that you, and your partner, are sleeping more soundly. Teeth grinding can be loud enough to rouse yourself and others, and a guard prevents grinding by not allowing the back teeth to close upon each other. The tension caused by grinding or clenching can also create enough discomfort to wake you from sleep. Alleviating this lets you keep on dreaming.
2. Have Fewer Headaches
Headaches related to TMJ can be caused by a disk out of alignment, muscle tension or other health issues that affect the jaw joints. Muscle tension is an overriding cause, though, thanks to all that teeth clenching and grinding that overwork the joints and the muscles and tissues that support them.
At night, while most people are resting and reviving their bodies, TMJ patients may place continual stress on their jaws, heads, necks and shoulders. A mouth guard can stop this action. Removing the source of the upper-body tension, which may cause headaches, is a huge relief for those areas.
3. Your Pain May Disappear
A mouth guard can do more than simply prevent teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Temporomandibular joint disorders occur when the bite, or the closure of the top and bottom teeth, is uneven. A successful outcome from using an effective mouth guard is correction of the bite, thereby removing the cause of TMJ symptoms. Unless you have irreversible damage from TMJ, your symptoms may fade and disappear. The key to success is in finding the right mouth guard and a doctor or dentist who is experienced with TMJ conditions. Of course, your conscientious participation in the treatment is also part of the equation.
