Will Dental Insurance Pay for My Night Guard?

We don’t always understand it either – and by it, I mean your dental insurance policy.

A night guard or occlusal guard is a custom-made appliance that your dentist may recommend when it appears that severe wear due to bruxing and grinding is occurring. While the cost of a night guard is generally ¼ to ½ the fee for a single crown, insurance plans rarely will cover the cost.

“This makes no sense,” says Natalie, the financial coordinator at Hemet Valley Dental Care, your dental office in Hemet California. “We know that by providing patients with night guards we are saving them and the insurance companies money. Teeth that are broken many times have occurred due to bruxing and clenching. The fact that we can reduce the number of broken teeth by the wearing of a simple appliance means savings.”

“The only time we sometimes see insurance companies pay for night guards is when the clenching and bruxing has now impacted the tooth’s stability – this means the periodontal ligament is now impacted.”

While it would be nice if dental insurance companies paid for custom night guards, know that as a patient you will still be ahead of the financial game if you pay in full for your appliance.

“One less crowned tooth more than covers the cost,” adds Natalie. “And it also means better dentistry for you, the patient.”

Headaches – Are Your Teeth the Culprit?

Bruxism, or the grinding of your teeth, can many times lead to tension-type headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Bruxism, the clenching of upper and lower teeth together, and grinding – the side-to-side motion of teeth, often occurs when a person is under undo stress or tension. “However, not everyone who grinds or clenches is even aware they are doing this as many times it occurs during sleep,” says Dr. Judith Ko of Hemet Valley Dental Care in California, your Inland Empire’s Top Dentist.

While the causes will vary from person to person, the end results are you will be putting additional pressure on the muscles, teeth and other tissues of the mouth and face, which can result in teeth wear, broken teeth and face or jaw pain.

“You may be bruxing and grinding at night if you wake with a dull, deep headache,” adds Dr. Ko.

So what can you do?

Most recommend the reduction of stress – you may be able to do this by just learning relaxation techniques.

Get plenty of sleep – sleep loss is one factor that seems to increase the likelihood that a person will grind or brux their teeth.

Avoid eating hard foods such as nuts, candies, steak and stop chewing gum – all of which can exacerbate a sore jaw joint.

If you are having facial or jaw pain, apply ice to the muscles.

“And get in to see your dentist to determine if you are going to be best helped by wearing a night guard or splint,” says Dr. Ko.

Don’t let headaches prevent you from enjoying life, call today.