What Is a Night Guard and Do I Need One for My TMJ?

Night guards or occlusal splints are sometimes called TMJ guard or dental appliance and they may not be the answer for every TMJ patient but they do have their uses. One use for them is to protect the teeth from damage caused by grinding your teeth in your sleep. Another use is to change the alignment of your teeth when you close your mouth.

When some people with high stress levels clench their jaw repeatedly or grind their teeth in their sleep it can cause a lot of damage to their teeth and it can put a lot of pressure and wear and tear on the TMJ or jaw joint. If the TMJ guard is fitted right it can relieve pressure and cause the jaw muscles to relax.

Some people may have TMJ disorder and not be grinding their teeth at all. It can be caused by trauma such as a car accident or just by a natural growth and formation that cause the teeth not to fit together right. The pressure this puts on the TMJ can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. A TMJ guard can then be used to help the teeth fit together better and reduce the pressure on the joint itself.

TMJ guards are usually made of a heat cured acrylic resin so they will be highly resilient. But sometimes, for a more short-term use, dentists will make them out of soft acrylic or light cured composite because it's less expensive. Also, sometimes children need to use a TMJ guard and since their normal growth can cause changes naturally it's better for them to be softer.

There are actually two different terms for TMJ guards. "Maxillary splints" are used on the upper teeth and more commonly used than the other, "mandibular splints" which are made to fit on the lower teeth. Some conditions can be treated with partial coverage so you will only need one or the other but it's not unheard of to use both at the same time.

When they are used correctly they will cause jaw muscle relaxation and they will protect the teeth from being ground down or from cracking and chipping. They are usually worn at night while the patient is sleeping but sometimes it's required for them to be worn all day. The length of time it's required to wear them will be determined by your dentist depending on how well your jaw heals while wearing the TMJ guard.