“Should my teeth hurt after wearing a nightguard?”
I am a 25 year old female. I want to know if my teeth should hurt after wearing a nightguard?
6 Answers
A mouthguard that is properly adjusted and worn nightly should not hurt. It is possible that there is movement of the teeth during the day that makes to mouthguard tight and causes tooth movement. Usually wearing the appliance every night is adequate to minimize tooth movement. If not, see you doctor to discuss alternatives.
It depends on what kind of mouthguard you are talking about, soft plastic or hard acrylic, upper vs lower, and how they are designed. The ones we use are lower full coverage semi-hard acrylic orthotic appliances with certain "retrusive bracing" components so as not to push the lower jaw backwards. After a day or two, it should not hurt your teeth. Yours could be fitting too tightly on your teeth.
Dr. Bill Harrell
Dr. Bill Harrell
If you are a vigorous bruxer, then your teeth can be sore after wearing your night guard. The night guard will protect your teeth from the excessive wear from the bruxing, but the teeth can be sore from the stress of the bruxing.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Sims, D.M.D, M.S.D.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Sims, D.M.D, M.S.D.
If it is a single tooth and a few teeth in one region, that would indicate that there is more pressure placed on these teeth as compared to the rest. The mouthguard should be adjusted to distribute or even out pressure throughout all the teeth. Additionally, the teeth should be evaluated to determine if there may be another underlying reason for hurting that may not be related to the mouthguard.
Sometimes night gaurds are manufactured too tight or are not fitting well. If you feel discomfort, visit your orthodontist asap.
Pressure points on a hurting tooth can be relieved by your dentist, but sore teeth upon waking means that you are clenching or grinding on the night guard which is the very habit you want to break. Teeth should be apart during sleep, not clamped down. This takes training with relaxation methods. You are not sleeping well if you clench or grind your teeth at night. Learn to let go of stress.
