Night Guards In Alexandria, VA
Are you grinding and clenching your teeth at night? Give your smile some relief with our custom night guards.
What is a night guard?
Nightguards are a protective solution for patients that subconsciously grind and clench their teeth while they sleep. These custom-made accessories work as a soft barrier between your teeth to prevent painful clenching and grinding overnight. When biting down, the night guard eases the tension between your jaw muscles and shields your teeth from enamel erosion. Wearing your custom-molded night guard can alleviate the painful side effects of the clenching and grinding, so you can sleep with ease.
Goop-Free Impressions
With the intraoral scanner, your dentist can take a non-invasive 3D scan that captures the form and structure of your mouth for custom-fit night guards. It’s a fully digital process — no putty necessary.
Types of night guards
Custom Night Guards
Each of our night guards is custom-made just for you — designed using detailed impressions or scans of your teeth to ensure a snug, comfortable fit. This personalized approach offers maximum protection, better durability, and a more restful night’s sleep.
Dual Laminate Night Guard
A Dual Laminate night guard is a custom-made, semi-rigid mouthpiece created in a lab outside the office. This night guard is suited for patients experiencing more severe night clenching and grinding. A Dual Laminate night guard is soft on the inside and hard on the outside, offering cushiony protection and strong durability. This long-lasting appliance is a great option for patients that are looking for a solution to their severe mouth clenching and grinding.
Acrylic Night Guard
An Acrylic Night Guard is a custom-made, rigid mouthpiece made at a lab outside the office. This appliance is a great option for patients who suffer from heavy, severe night clenching and are in need of a long-lasting guard. Because it is entirely made of hard acrylic material, the Acrylic Night Guard is rigid and non-compressible, making it the most durable night guard available.
How it works: The night guard treatment process
Consultation
At your consultation, your dentist will determine if night guards are right for you. Your doctor will examine your mouth for unusual wear spots on your teeth and any visible indicators related to teeth grinding or clenching.
Scanning
Instead of traditional impressions, we use a comfortable, mess-free intraoral scanner to capture a precise 3D image of your teeth. This digital scan allows us to evaluate your bite and tooth alignment with exceptional accuracy. Once the scan is complete, we’ll either fabricate your custom night guard in-office or send the digital file to a specialized dental lab for production.
Fitting and Adjustments
Once the night guard is ready, your dentist will place the night guard in your mouth to ensure proper fitting. You will also receive accessories and homecare instructions for long-lasting, durable wear.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out these frequently asked questions, or call us to speak with our team.
Chronic stress can cause jaw muscles to tighten during sleep. This tension clenches the teeth together, which can then grate the upper and lower rows against each other in a grinding motion. If this persistent clenching and grinding go untreated, it can erode the enamel, compromise the integrity of your teeth, and cause excruciating pain. This is where night guards come in. A custom-made night guard will protect your teeth from touching each other and wearing down the enamel, preventing further harm on your teeth and jaw.
Soft night guards are made of cushiony material, which is typically less durable than acrylic or dual laminate night guards. Ultimately, the longevity of your night guard will depend on the severity of your teeth grinding and how well you care for the guard. Typically, night guards last between 5 and 10 years. It is important to wear your guard each night to preserve your teeth alignment. If you choose not to wear your night guard for some time, your teeth can shift and the guard may no longer fit, so a visit to the dentist for another guard or alignment check will be necessary.
Yes. Night guards endure nightly wear and tear and will eventually need to be repaired or replaced. It is common for your teeth to shift over time, so an annual visit to ensure your night guard is properly aligning is suggested. If you notice any cracks, tears, or deformations, contact your dentist to replace your night guard.
This varies, depending on the type of night guard you choose. Soft night guards are made from a flexible material called ethylene-vinyl acetate. Dual Laminate night guards are composed of two distinct layers of ethylene-vinyl acetate and acrylic, giving it a soft inner layer and a hard outer layer. An Acrylic night guard is composed entirely of durable acrylic matter, which makes the appliance entirely rigid.
The cost of night guards is different for each patient. Factors that may affect the cost of your night guard include the guard material, appointment and visits, insurance type, and more. The best way to find out how much you’ll pay for a night guard is to schedule a consultation with your dentist.
