Can home fitted or pharmacy fitted night guard cause problems?
The short answer is yes. The most common occurrence is that the patient loses the ability to touch their front teeth together.
When a patient wears an ill-fitting night guard, it can disrupt the natural alignment of the jaws and teeth, leading to various issues, including an anterior overbite. Here's how it can happen:
Altered Jaw Position: An ill-fitting night guard can affect the position of the jaws, pushing them forward or backward unnaturally. This can result in an overbite where the upper front teeth protrude over the lower front teeth.
Uneven Pressure: The night guard may not distribute pressure evenly across the teeth. This can cause certain teeth to move or shift, leading to changes in the bite relationship between the upper and lower teeth.
Excessive Wear: If the night guard is too tight or loose in certain areas, it can cause excessive wear on specific teeth, particularly the front teeth. Over time, this uneven wear can contribute to the development of an anterior overbite.
Muscle Tension: An ill-fitting night guard can also lead to increased muscle tension in the jaw, which can further exacerbate the problem by promoting forward positioning of the upper front teeth.
A super eruption of posterior teeth occurs when the teeth in the lower or upper jaw start to grow or shift excessively due to an imbalance caused by an ill-fitting night guard. Night guards, typically worn to protect teeth from grinding during sleep, when poorly fitted, can alter the natural alignment of the teeth, leading to uneven pressure distribution. Over time, this can cause certain teeth to erupt further than others, resulting in bite problems and potential discomfort. Regular adjustments and proper fitting of night guards are essential to prevent such issues.
Overall, wearing an ill-fitting night guard can disrupt the delicate balance of the jaws and teeth, leading to various orthodontic issues, including an anterior overbite. Regular check-ups with a dentist and adjustments to the night guard are crucial to prevent such problems.