How to Clean a Night Guard

One of our specialties at Alta Loma Dental Care is providing customized night guards for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Also called snore guards, night guards are removable oral appliances that keep the teeth apart during the patient’s sleep so they won’t rub together. They also reposition the jaw to help keep the patient’s airways open. But as with any oral appliance, bacteria will build up on the night guard unless it is kept clean.

Nightguard manufacturers also make cleaning solutions and other hygiene products they advertise on their website. These products are often of high quality, but the patient should still brush the appliance after removing it each morning. A soft-bristled toothbrush will remove the bacterial film that develops in the patient’s mouth. However, the patient should not use toothpaste on the night guard, as the gritty minerals are likely to scratch its soft plastic and do not provide any benefit.

Unlike dentures, some night guards are meant to be kept dry when not in use. But regardless of how they are stored, the case should be cleaned every day with antibacterial soap. It’s also important to keep the case away from anything too hot and out of sunlight because the night guard’s shape could be distorted. A patient’s teeth may migrate naturally over time, which would require the night guard to be adjusted, but patients should not attempt to do this on their own.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Car Crashes: A Risk of Sleep Apnea

The dentists of Alta Loma Dental Care provide assistance to patients with sleep apnea as well as other oral health concerns. Although Americans are sadly accustomed to going without sleep, new data demonstrates why this is dangerous. According to a recent study, sleep apnea is a significant contributor to car crashes.

It makes sense that sleep deprivation would be a contributor to car crashes, but this is one of the few studies to look at obstructive sleep apnea independently of sleep duration. People with obstructive sleep apnea wake up or otherwise experience disrupted sleep throughout the night, resulting in them being fatigued the following day. Research indicated that mild and moderate sleep apnea increased the risk of a crash by 13% and severe sleep apnea increased the risk by 123%. Furthermore, sleep-deprived people often misjudge the severity of their impairment.

The American Sleep Apnea Association considers it safe for people with sleep apnea to drive if they are being successfully treated. Our office can help people with obstructive sleep apnea to get better rest by providing custom-fitted night guards that will keep the patient’s airways open while lying down. Night guards will also prevent dental damage caused by nighttime teeth grinding.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

What does Snoring have to do with Jaw Pain?

When people are suffering from jaw pain, they’re right to go to their dentist for help. What they may not know is that a dentist can also help with their snoring. At Alta Loma Dental Care, we treat obstructive sleep apnea and want our patients to understand how it is related to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD).

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a very complex structure. It connects the lower jaw with the head and is responsible for its full range of motion. A healthy TMJ must be able to absorb all the forces put on it during chewing.  When a person suffers from sleep apnea, their body often attempts to keep their airways open by moving the jaw around at night, which is called bruxism. This can cause wear and tear on the teeth in addition to subjecting the TMJ to additional stress. An injury to it can cause pain to be felt anywhere from the head to the shoulder. When it is sore, a patient may not be able to open their mouth or hear clicking noises when they do.

We provide night guards which hold a person’s teeth in place during sleep. This reduces the damage of bruxism and eliminates the body’s incentive to move the jaw at night.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Night Guards from Alta Loma Dental Care

At our practice in Alta Loma, CA, we see many patients who suffer from bruxism, or teeth grinding. While many people who grind their teeth do so consciously throughout the day, even more grind their teeth at night while sleeping. Bruxism can cause damage to your enamel, as well as cause jaw pain, headaches and gum irritation, so it is important to treat it. Night guards are usually the best way to prevent grinding’s negative effects.

Similar to mouth guards worn by athletes during sports, night guards provide a barrier between your top and bottom teeth when you sleep. By reducing wear to your teeth and making it harder for you to grind, your teeth will be healthier and you will feel better overall. We custom fit these night guards to make them as comfortable as possible. If you are a night grinder, we will take an impression of your teeth and have a mouth guard created in our dental lab. These guards are very durable and can last for up to 10 years.

If you find yourself frequently waking up with headaches or pain in your jaw, it is very possible that you grind in your sleep. Often those who do not treat their bruxism end up with TMD, which can lead to a change in the appearance of their faces. To diagnose and treat your night grinding, call (909) 987-6268 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Kim. For more information about Alta Loma Dental Care, visit www.altalomadentalcare.com.