Stress can cause many pains, aches, and uncomfortable responses in the body. One of the most common symptoms of stress and anxiety is bruxism, or the habit of grinding the teeth together, especially while asleep. Between 5% and 20% of the US population suffers from bruxism, or teeth grinding, in some form, with most of these individuals experiencing chronic bruxism, a condition that can have a severe health impact.
The two most common causes of teeth grinding are stress and age. While the exact mechanism that causes bruxism is unknown, clinical investigations have demonstrated that stress levels have a direct correlation to bruxism frequency. As age proceeds, stress levels have a tendency to increase, which accounts for higher teeth grinding rates in individuals at older ages.
Chronic teeth grinding places a large amount of pressure on the teeth that can cause serious damage. Constant nighttime grinding of teeth while asleep can wear away the enamel of the teeth, revealing the sensitive dentin layer beneath, which eventually causes the tooth to crumble down to a stump.
Treating the structural damage caused by teeth grinding can require extremely expensive, invasive, and painful dental surgeries, such as root canals, implants, bridges, crowns, and even partial or complete dentures. There are, unfortunately, few ways to cease teeth grinding apart from lowering overall stress levels, which can be difficult as stress is a systemic health disorder with many sources.
Cutting back on alcohol consumption, caffeine, gum chewing, chocolate, soda, and practicing jaw relaxation techniques can assist with preventing bruxism, but the most effective solution recommended by most dentists and medical professionals is a bruxism dental guard, which is worn at night time and covers the teeth to prevent grinding.
Nighttime dental guards are typically expensive oral health tools, as they must be shaped to the specific dental pattern of the user, but new developments in rapid-shape moulding technology have made simple, cost-effective, easy to use disposable dental guards available to the general public. One solution in particular, the SmartGuard Night Guard, has been rated as the best and most effective dental guard to help prevent the damage incurred by teeth clenching and grinding.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the SmartGuard Night Guard and find out what makes it different from other dental guards to help you decide whether it’s the right bruxism treatment for your needs.
What is the SmartGuard Night Guard?
The SmartGuard Night Guard is a groundbreaking new dental guard that provides instant, effective, and reliable bruxism prevention for individuals that suffer from night time teeth grinding. The design of the SmartGuard Night Guard makes it an innovative and unique development over traditional nighttime dental guards, as instead of covering the entire upper jaw and teeth, the SmartGuard covers the front teeth only.
There are many dental guards available on the market today that cover both the front and rear upper teeth. Studies have demonstrated that while these solutions are effective in preventing bruxism, or teeth grinding, they actually increase teeth clenching, grinding, and chewing. Concerningly, these solutions also have the propensity to exacerbate TMJ, or Temporomandibular joint disorder.
TMJ is a condition in which an individual sufferers from chronic jaw clenching develop compromised movement of the jaw which is accompanied by extreme pain. The condition can lead to an inability to chew, clicking sensations while chewing, and even locking of the jaw joint. The unique design of the SmartGuard Night Guard ensures that the teeth cannot clench, which eliminates the dangers of TMJ while remaining comfortable.
One of the most important design elements of the SmartGuard Night Guard is that the plastic used to create the device itself is completely free from BPA plastic. BPA plastic is frequently used in many food storage items, dental devices, and drinking bottles, and has been demonstrated to cause a wide range of negative health disorders such as infertility, hormonal imbalance, and even cancer.
The SmartGuard Night Guard is also free from latex, which makes it suitable for individuals with a latex allergy. Designed to alleviate headaches, jaw pain, the wearing away of teeth, and prevent dental damage from bruxism, SmartGuard Night guard is one of the most intelligent protective dental devices available on the market.
How the SmartGuard Night Guard Works
The SmartGuard Night Guard is one of the only dental guard solutions that doesn’t need to be fitted or molded by a dental medical professional. Typical professional dental molding for dental guards can cost upwards of several thousand dollars, and require frequent replacement, representing an ongoing cost that many individuals that suffer from bruxism cannot afford.
The SmartGuard Night Guard solution instead uses a revolutionary new moldable plastic that is activated by heat. Users simply heat up a new SmartGuard Night Guard with warm water and, after placing it over their front upper teeth, bite down to create a firm imprint of their specific dental pattern.
The unique design of the SmartGuard Night Guard was created by Dr. David Spainhower, one of the foremost TMJ and bruxism experts in the world. SmartGuard Rx, the company behind the SmartGuard, was founded in 2010 and has moved through five different iterations of the SmartGuard Night Guard device, culminating in the highly effective and reliable solution that is available today.
The SmartGuard Night Guard is approved with both OTC and RX certifications from the FDA, and is one of the longest-lasting dental guards available on the market. Each SmartGuard lasts between six months and one year, making them extremely cost-effective.
The SmartGuard Night Guard Verdict
The SmartGuard Night Guard is one of the only dental guard solutions that can be molded at home without high dental professional prices, and is enhanced by the fact that it is free from any dangerous chemicals or production techniques. With a unique design that not only prevents teeth grinding, but alleviates the symptoms of TMJ, the SmartGuard Night Guard is one of the best dental guards available on the market today.
If you’re looking for a low-cost, effective, reliable, and long lasting dental guard to protect your teeth from the damages of stress-induced teeth grinding, the SmartGuard Dental Guard is a great choice.
