
13. Having a Nighttime Mouth Guard
If you use a nighttime mouth guard to prevent yourself from grinding your teeth at night, you may need to schedule an appointment with your dentist, especially if that mouth guard came over the counter without a prescription. The FDA does not monitor every single kind of mouth guard that hits the market. The problem is that wearing a mouth guard can lead to a problem called an open bite. An open bite means that your front teeth on top do not touch the corresponding teeth on the bottom, but the molars in the back of your mouth are constantly grinding against each other. Over time, a mouth guard can actually cause the molars to rise out of their regular position, leading to thousands of dollars in needed dental work. The problem is undoubtedly rare, but if you have been wearing a mouth guard, schedule a visit to your dentist. Even if your dentist approves the mouth guard, you should monitor its use to ensure that you are not developing an open bite.