Choosing the Right Dental Night Guard
Do you wake up every morning with headaches, feeling just as exhausted as you were when you went to bed? Do you grind your teeth when asleep? Has your spouse ever moved to the room next door because of your heavy snoring, gasping and choking every night? If so, you have obstructive sleep apnea– a condition where the upper air passage closes off and interrupts your breathing.
This deprives you of enough oxygen until you wake up and staring breathing again. Fortunately, you are not alone, you are in the same pool with more than 18 million Americans. It does not end there. There is a solution; a dental night guard. So, just how do you go about buying a good dental night guard? What do you take into consideration? How much should you spend on one?
Choosing the best medical equipment supplier
It’s not enough to just buy your breathing device from any drug store. Breathing devices are not like over the counter drugs. You have to buy the best one in the market. The easiest way to do this is to buy your night guard from a reputable medical equipment supplier. The reasons are simple. Reputable medical equipment suppliers work closely with doctors. They always know what’s in demand and what’s not. They also know the best brands, so it should really be easy for you to get value for your money with a reputable medical equipment supplier.
Understanding how your mouth guard works
Research shows that most patients ditch their mouth guards after two or three months. That’s normal considering that it’s not that easy to keep up with a device in your mouth every night. It should however be noted that patients who ditch their dental night guards after short time, rarely use the devices appropriately. They therefore see no big difference having or not having the device. To avoid all these, ask your doctor or even medical supplier how to effectively use your device.
Customized dental night guards
This mostly applies to children. It is very hard for a kid to put up with something he or she does not like. Sometimes, it’s actually impossible. That is why your doctor is likely to recommend a custom dental night guard for your child.
There really isn’t that much of a difference between normal and customized dental night guards, but it helps to give your child what will keep him or her happy. It could be something as trivial as the color of the night guard, so you really have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Go for a sleep apnea mouth guard that is:
- Comfortable
- Durable
- Fitting
Buying the right device
Your doctor will tell you that apneic patients have different breathing problems. There are those who breathe through their noses, while there are those who do it through their mouths. This means that they both need different night guards designed to cater for their specific needs. It also means that you cannot use a mouth guard meant for an apneic patient with complications breathing through his or her nose. Your doctor should tell you more about the kind of mouth guard you need and advise you where to buy it or have one customized for your needs.
In conclusion
Sleep apnea is not a death sentence. With a good dental night guard, you should be fine. The only problem could be finding the right device since the available dental night guard types can be confusing for a layman. Your doctor should help you choose the right one and save you from the agony of shopping for what you know nothing about. A good dental night guard cost is also affordable, so have no worries at all. Buy it and wear it with a smile.