Teeth Grinding and Dental Implants: How to Protect Your Investment While You Sleep

Dental implants are one of the most successful tooth replacement options available today. They’re strong, long-lasting, and can restore your smile in ways that feel incredibly natural. But like any investment in your health, they require protection—especially if you grind your teeth at night.

At Dental Care at Kennestone, we know how important it is to keep your dental implants secure and functional for decades. One of the most significant (and often silent) threats to implant success is bruxism—unconscious clenching and grinding of the teeth, especially during sleep.

Fortunately, there’s a straightforward solution that can make a major difference: a custom-made night guard.

Here’s everything you need to know about bruxism, how it affects dental implants, and the smart, preventive steps you can take.

What Is Bruxism?

Bruxism is a condition that causes you to grind or clench your teeth, often without realizing it. While it can occur during the day, it’s more common at night when muscle activity becomes less regulated by the brain. That’s why many people aren’t even aware they have it until a dentist identifies the signs—or damage is already done.

Common symptoms of bruxism include:

• Jaw pain or soreness upon waking
• Chronic headaches, especially around the temples
• Clicking or popping in the jaw joint
• Tooth sensitivity or unexplained fractures
• Flattened or worn-down teeth

Bruxism can happen to anyone, but it’s often linked to stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, bite misalignment, or even lifestyle factors like alcohol and caffeine intake.

Why Bruxism and Dental Implants Don’t Mix

While dental implants are made of strong materials like titanium and ceramic, they aren’t indestructible. The excessive pressure caused by bruxism can interfere with the healing and integration of the implant into the jawbone—and even after healing, it can still cause damage.

If you grind your teeth regularly and have one or more implants, here’s what could happen:

• Loosening of the Implant Constant clenching puts repeated stress on the implant post, which may compromise its integration into the bone.
• Prosthetic Damage Crowns or bridges attached to the implant can crack, chip, or wear down prematurely.
• Gum Recession and Bone Loss Excessive pressure can damage the surrounding tissue and lead to inflammation or bone resorption.
• Implant Failure In severe cases, bruxism can contribute to early implant failure, resulting in the need for replacement.

Bruxism doesn’t just affect your natural teeth—it puts your entire dental foundation at risk, especially the areas supported by implants.

The Night Guard: Your Implant’s Best Friend

One of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your dental implants from bruxism is by wearing a custom night guard while you sleep. Also called an occlusal guard or bite splint, this appliance fits snugly over your teeth to cushion the impact of grinding.

How a Night Guard Helps:

• Evenly distributes biting force across all teeth, minimizing stress on the implant
• Prevents direct tooth-to-tooth contact, protecting ceramic crowns and bridges
• Relieves pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), easing jaw tension
• Reduces wear and tear on both natural and artificial teeth

Night guards are small, discreet, and comfortable once you get used to them. Most importantly, they act as a protective barrier during your most vulnerable hours—when you’re asleep.

Custom Night Guard vs. Store-Bought

You’ve probably seen over-the-counter night guards at the pharmacy. While tempting due to their low price, they often don’t provide the protection your implants deserve.

Here’s why a custom night guard from Dental Care at Kennestone is the smarter option:

• Tailored Fit Custom guards are made using precise impressions of your mouth, ensuring a snug, comfortable fit that won’t shift or feel bulky.
• Long-Lasting Materials We use high-grade, dental-safe acrylic that holds up to regular grinding far better than the soft plastics in store-bought guards.
• Maximized Protection A dentist-designed guard is crafted to address your specific bite pattern and where pressure needs to be minimized.
• Reduced Risk of Misalignment Poorly fitting night guards can do more harm than good. A professional fit avoids bite changes or uneven wear.

The cost of replacing an implant far outweighs the cost of a custom guard—especially considering that one night guard can last several years with proper care.

How We Make Your Night Guard at Dental Care at Kennestone

Creating your personalized night guard is a quick and painless process:

1. Evaluation We examine your teeth, gums, and implants, and assess any signs of bruxism.
2. Impressions We take precise digital or traditional impressions of your mouth.
3. Custom Fabrication Your guard is made to your exact specifications in a dental lab.
4. Fitting and Adjustment Once it’s ready, we ensure a comfortable fit and give you instructions on how to wear and clean it.
5. Follow-Up We’ll check your guard and your implant health at future appointments.

The result? A strong layer of defense between your teeth and the effects of grinding—without interfering with your sleep.

A Long-Term Investment Worth Protecting

Dental implants boast a 95–98% success rate when properly maintained. But they aren’t maintenance-free. Just like your natural teeth, they need protection from damage, pressure, and stress. If you grind your teeth, even occasionally, you’re exposing your implants to unnecessary risk.

Here in Marietta, we’ve helped countless patients preserve their implants for decades by proactively treating bruxism. Whether you have one implant or a full set of restorations, prevention is always easier—and more affordable—than repair.

Keep Your Implants Safe While You Sleep

If you’ve invested in dental implants, don’t let nighttime grinding undo the results. A custom night guard can mean the difference between long-term success and expensive complications.

At Dental Care at Kennestone, we’re here to help you protect what matters. Schedule a consultation today to learn if a night guard is right for you. Your implants will thank you—and so will your jaw.

Posted on behalf of Dental Care Center at Kennestone