In the past, I have discussed with the Dental Community the value of night guards or appliances like them that prevent individuals from grinding their teeth at night. This grinding or clenching is a major cause of tooth wear as well as fracture of either teeth or restorations leading to very challenging situations and even loss of teeth.
Night guards and appliances can cost $400-$750, something which has often presented a financial challenge to many individuals who need them.
However, the alternative of night guards that are purchased either online or fabricated inexpensively of a soft material, not done by a laboratory, can have dire consequences. Recently, I had a patient who had sought an inexpensive alternative. The end result was not only did the inexpensive night guard not prevent his grinding, he actually bit through the soft plastic. He managed to break a crown and a dental implant supporting that crown involving an upper front tooth, something that had some dire implications for his smile and his pocketbook.
I strongly suggest that patients who are advised to wear night guards to prevent the effects of tooth grinding to please have these night guards made professionally and that they be made of a hard, plastic material by a dental laboratory. In this case, an ounce of prevention can prevent several pounds of cure.
Dr. Victor M. Sternberg
Night guards and appliances can cost $400-$750, something which has often presented a financial challenge to many individuals who need them.
However, the alternative of night guards that are purchased either online or fabricated inexpensively of a soft material, not done by a laboratory, can have dire consequences. Recently, I had a patient who had sought an inexpensive alternative. The end result was not only did the inexpensive night guard not prevent his grinding, he actually bit through the soft plastic. He managed to break a crown and a dental implant supporting that crown involving an upper front tooth, something that had some dire implications for his smile and his pocketbook.
I strongly suggest that patients who are advised to wear night guards to prevent the effects of tooth grinding to please have these night guards made professionally and that they be made of a hard, plastic material by a dental laboratory. In this case, an ounce of prevention can prevent several pounds of cure.
Dr. Victor M. Sternberg
| dangersofstoreboughtnightguards.pdf |
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