A Night Guard Can Cost Less Than Another Crown

If you are replacing the same worn or cracked tooth more than once, nighttime clenching may be the reason.

Many of the crowns we replace were not failing because the material wore out. They were absorbing a bite force that never let up overnight. Clenching and grinding flatten edges, open tiny cracks, and can loosen a crown that otherwise fits well.

A custom night guard is a thin, precise shield made from a model of your own teeth. It gives the jaw muscles something even to land on and keeps enamel from rubbing enamel. Store-bought boil-and-bite guards are bulky, and people often stop wearing them. A guard made in our Willow Park office is thin enough that most patients wear it every night.

If you wake with a sore jaw, notice flat edges, or have chipped a tooth more than once, tell Drs. Chad or Mike Drennan at your next visit. Protecting the teeth you have is usually simpler than rebuilding them.