Night Guards
Waking up to a sore jaw, dull headaches, or sensitive teeth? Grinding or clenching while you sleep, a condition known as bruxism, could be the cause. At Brammeier Family Dental, Drs. Brammeier and Ericson craft custom-fitted night guards that gently cushion your teeth and ease your jaw muscles, shielding your smile from the damage of bruxism night after night.
What it is
Grinding or clenching your teeth, usually during sleep, is the habit known as bruxism. It affects as many as 1 in 3 people and, left untreated, can seriously damage teeth, gums, and jaw joints.
Who it's for
Patients who wake with jaw soreness, headaches, or tooth sensitivity, those showing visible enamel wear, or anyone whose partner hears them grinding at night.
How we help
While you sleep, a custom-fit occlusal night guard from Drs. Brammeier and Ericson protects your teeth, relieves jaw muscle strain, and helps head off long-term damage.
Sore jaw or headache greeting you each morning? A custom night guard could change everything.
Why Bruxism Needs Attention
Signs of Teeth Grinding
- Jaw pain, facial soreness, or stiffness when you wake
- Recurring morning headaches or migraines
- Teeth that feel sensitive, especially to temperature
- Tooth surfaces that look worn, flat, chipped, or cracked
- Indentations running along the sides of your tongue
- Irritated or receding gums around the affected teeth
- A grinding or clicking sound your partner hears while you sleep
Damage Bruxism Can Cause
- Enamel erosion: Over time, the protective outer layer of your teeth wears away for good
- Cracked or fractured teeth: Severe clenching pressure can fracture even healthy teeth
- Gum recession: Grinding forces strain the gum tissue and bone surrounding your teeth
- TMJ disorders: Cumulative damage to the jaw joint brings on clicking, locking, and pain
- Failed restorations: Under grinding forces, crowns, fillings, and veneers break more easily
How a Custom Night Guard Helps
A custom night guard from Drs. Brammeier and Ericson is built precisely for your bite, unlike over-the-counter boil-and-bite guards. We take detailed impressions of your teeth and have a dental lab fabricate your guard, so it fits comfortably and stays put all night.
Sitting between your upper and lower teeth, the guard forms a smooth, protective barrier. Instead of tooth grinding against tooth, the guard material absorbs and spreads the force evenly. That protects your enamel, eases strain on your jaw muscles and joints, and can noticeably cut morning discomfort.
With consistent use, patients often see better sleep quality and fewer headaches within the first few weeks.
Benefits of a Custom Night Guard
- Guards against enamel wear and shields existing restorations
- Eases jaw muscle tension and TMJ strain
- Cuts down on morning headaches and facial pain
- Relieves the tooth sensitivity that enamel erosion causes
- Fitted precisely to your bite, far better than store-bought guards
- Durable, easy to clean, and made to last years with proper care
Lifestyle Tips to Reduce Bruxism
While a night guard does an excellent job of protecting your teeth, pairing it with healthy habits can help ease the underlying grinding itself. For bruxism patients, Drs. Brammeier and Ericson recommend the following lifestyle adjustments:
Habits to Avoid
- Chewing gum: Keeps your jaw muscles locked in constant contraction, and even 'harmless' chewing reinforces the grinding habit
- Alcohol: Ramps up the intensity of sleep bruxism, especially in the hours after you drink
- Caffeine: Particularly in the afternoon and evening, it stimulates the nervous system and can raise muscle tension during sleep
- Chewing on non-food items: Pencils, pens, fingernails, and ice all keep jaw muscles tense and feed the clenching reflex
- Daytime clenching: When you're not eating or speaking, keep your jaw relaxed with your teeth slightly apart
Helpful Habits
- Stress management: Because bruxism is closely tied to stress and anxiety, exercise, meditation, and counseling can all lessen grinding intensity
- Jaw stretches: Gentle range-of-motion exercises before bed help relax overworked muscles
- Warm compress: Ten minutes of moist heat on the jaw before sleep loosens tense muscles
- Sleep position: Sleeping on your back puts less pressure on the jaw than side or stomach sleeping
- Consistent night guard use: Wear your guard every night, even once symptoms ease
Protect your teeth and your sleep. At your next visit, ask Drs. Brammeier and Ericson about a custom night guard.
What to Expect
Getting Your Night Guard
- Evaluation: Drs. Brammeier and Ericson look over your teeth for signs of wear, assess your bite and jaw, and talk through your symptoms
- Impressions: We capture precise dental impressions (or digital scans) of your upper and lower teeth
- Lab fabrication: A dental lab custom-makes your guard to match your exact bite
- Fitting appointment: We confirm the fit, make any fine adjustments, and show you how to care for your guard
- Follow-up: We track your improvement and make sure the guard keeps fitting well as needed
Caring for Your Guard
- Each morning, rinse your guard with cool water, since hot water can warp the material
- Brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and mild soap, not toothpaste, which is abrasive
- Keep it in the ventilated case provided, and never wrap it in a tissue or napkin
- Store it out of reach of pets, since dogs are especially drawn to the smell
- Bring it along to every dental appointment so we can check it for wear
- With proper care most guards last 3–5 years, though replace yours sooner if it cracks or warps
Frequently Asked Questions
Because most teeth grinding happens during sleep, many people have no idea they do it until the effects show up during the day. The clearest clues are the ones you can notice in the morning and in the mirror:
- Waking with a sore jaw, facial tenderness, or a dull headache
- Teeth that feel sensitive, especially to hot and cold
- Tooth surfaces that look flattened, worn, chipped, or cracked
- A partner who hears a grinding sound while you sleep
Any one of these can point to bruxism, and because the wear builds up gradually, it is often something we notice before you do. At your next exam, Drs. Brammeier and Ericson can evaluate your teeth and spot wear patterns consistent with bruxism, then talk with you about whether a night guard makes sense.
No, and the difference is bigger than the price tag suggests. Over-the-counter boil-and-bite guards take a one-size-fits-all approach that often fits poorly, feels bulky, and works its way loose during the night. A poor fit is not just uncomfortable; an ill-fitting guard can throw off your bite and may even increase clenching in some patients, which defeats the purpose.
A custom night guard from Drs. Brammeier and Ericson is built from precise impressions of your own teeth, so it fits snugly, stays comfortably in place all night, and distributes grinding forces properly without shifting your jaw. It is also made from more durable material, so it holds up far longer. For protecting your teeth and jaw from bruxism, a custom guard is well worth the difference over a drugstore version.
Expect a short adjustment period, and that is completely normal. For the first few nights up to about a week, a new night guard can feel unfamiliar in your mouth, and some people are aware of it as they fall asleep. This settles quickly for most patients.
Once your jaw adapts, most patients find their custom guard comfortable, and many actually report sleeping better as jaw muscle tension eases and the teeth stop grinding against one another. Because it is made to fit your bite precisely, it should not feel bulky or force your jaw out of position the way a generic guard can. If discomfort lingers beyond a couple of weeks or you notice a sore spot, contact us for an adjustment rather than pushing through it.
Yes, closely. Bruxism ranks among the most common contributors to TMJ disorders (TMD). Every time you grind or clench, you load the temporomandibular joints and the muscles around them with a great deal of force, and when that happens night after night the joint takes on stress it was never meant to handle continuously.
Over time that repeated strain can bring inflammation, clicking, and pain, which is why grinding and jaw problems so often go hand in hand. This is also why a night guard helps on two fronts at once: by cushioning your teeth and easing the force on the joint, it protects both the teeth and the TMJ. Learn more about our TMJ/TMD treatments.
Yes, children can grind their teeth too (pediatric bruxism), and it is fairly common in kids. The reassuring news is that childhood grinding often clears up on its own as they grow and their baby teeth give way to permanent ones, so it does not always call for a night guard the way it typically does in adults.
Because children's mouths are still developing and changing quickly, a guard is only recommended when it is genuinely warranted. Drs. Brammeier and Ericson will keep an eye on your child's teeth for signs of wear at regular visits and suggest a guard only when it's appropriate, such as when grinding is causing damage or discomfort.
Many dental insurance plans offer at least partial coverage for a custom occlusal night guard once bruxism has been diagnosed, since the guard is treating a recognized dental problem rather than serving a cosmetic purpose. That said, coverage varies quite a bit from plan to plan, both in how much they pay and in how often they will cover a replacement.
To take the guesswork out of it, we verify your benefits before treatment begins at our Lisle office and give you a clear estimate of any out-of-pocket cost up front. That way you can decide on your night guard knowing exactly what to expect, with no surprises after the fact.
Don't let grinding wreck your smile. Book an appointment and ask about a custom night guard today.