Is a night guard really necessary? Night Guards 101

May 5, 2025

Why did my dentist recommend a night guard?

Most of us are walking around clenching our teeth and we don’t even realize it. We clench when we sleep, while we work, at the gym, while we drive. If you catch yourself doing it during the day, then you definitely do it while you sleep 100%. Your dentist is an expert at recognizing the signs and symptoms of clenching and grinding. Your dentist can detect these signs in your mouth before you have a tooth problem. If your dentist recommends a night guard, it is because they are trying to prevent you from having future tooth problems. Excessive clenching and grinding can cause fractured and split teeth, tooth nerve damage, tooth mobility, tooth pain, excessive wear, cold sensitivity, implant failure, the acceleration of periodontal disease, and more. A lot of problems are possible all from the jaw muscles working too hard.

The jaw muscles are some of the strongest muscles in the body and can exert up to and over 200 pounds of pressure on the teeth. The jaw muscles should not be underestimated. It is possible to not have a single cavity in your mouth, but still need tooth extractions and other significant dental work because of clenching and grinding.

How do I know if I need a night guard?

There are many different reasons people need night guards. These are a few signs you might be able to detect on your own at home.

Often, the very first sign of needing a night guard is generalized cold sensitivity. Clenching and grinding will cause the gums to start to pull back in the mouth, this is often referred to as gum recession. Your teeth then become cold sensitive, like someone snatched your blanket away while you were all cosy on the couch. Clenching and grinding will also create micro fractures in the tooth, so tiny we can’t see them, but you can sure feel them in the form of generalized cold sensitivity.

Another sign is jaw soreness. This normally would be felt when you wake up first thing in the morning. You would also feel soreness at the end of eating a meal. It can last long after you wake up. It can linger long after your meal. The jaw muscles are like any other muscle in the body. If you are working them out too hard clenching and grinding in your sleep, they will be sore all the time and not be able to function optimally for life.

Headaches are also more frequent in patients who clench and grind. The muscles related to chewing are intimately connected with the other muscles and nerves of the head, including the neck and shoulders. Dr. Norton knows from personal experience that headaches and migraines cannot simply be treated with one method; the approach must be multifactorial. But if you are getting frequent headaches and/or migraines, a custom night guard is where you need to start. It can decrease your headache and migraine frequency by at least half, and decrease the intensity.

Your teeth are shifting. When we clench and grind, extra unnecessary forces are being placed on the teeth and they begin to move and shift. This is a very slow process. If you feel like your teeth don’t exactly look how they used to be, then you might be clenching and grinding. If you have new gaps, spaces, or crowding, then you are probably clenching and grinding. Often these types of patients need Invisalign and then a night guard at the end of clear aligner treatment.

There are many other signs of tooth breakdown related to clenching and grinding that you are probably unaware. Dr. Norton will be able to detect them in your mouth at your first visit and will photograph them to show you.