The Panthera Sleep Night Guard is touted for great comfort and more robust protection, even though it is the smallest full-arch night guard on the market. Read more about its benefits!
by Diane Robichaud, t.d.
Night guards, a sub-category of occlusal splints, are the most widely prescribed orthoses in dentistry. The recognized role of night guards is the protection of natural dentition and restorations from damaging parafunctional forces and, in some cases, headache relief and treatment of muscle soreness or TMJ pain.
Night guards can be used as a permissive splint/muscle deprogrammer (Dawson) and as a muscle relaxation/stabilization appliance (Okeson).1,2
Splints can be placed on either the maxillary or mandibular arches and typically cover all the dentition on the respective arch. Thermoformed night guards are one of the most popular types because they are fast and easy since they can be made in office or inexpensively through a lab. However, they can be difficult to adjust, are usually not very durable, and have a resultant short lifespan. For long-term wear, a hard material is preferred in order to avoid increase in contractures.2
Continuing their long-revered trend for innovation in dentistry, Panthera Dental has announced that the Panthera Sleep® Night Guard is now available. It is manufactured using the finest CAD/CAM technology which greatly reduces the need for appliance adjustment and allows for easy reproducibility.
Additionally, the Panthera Sleep® Night Guard is comprised of Polyamide 12 (nylon material), the same 3D printed material used in the fabrication of their seminal Panthera D-SAD sleep apnea oral appliances. This medical grade material combines durable rigidity on the occlusal surfaces and comfortable flexibility on the buccal and lingual surfaces, enabling the guard to engage undercuts for retention rather than ball clasps, which can encourage tooth movement.
Polyamide does not deteriorate in open air and does not need to be stored in water like hard acrylic splints. Nor does it become brittle or fracture under parafunctional forces as many thermoformed splints do. The splint does not need to be heated before seating like thermal acrylic splints. Also, Panthera Sleep® Night Guard won’t absorb odors, stains, and other gunk after only 30 days of use like dual laminate devices do.
The ground-breaking, teeth-protecting Panthera Sleep® Night Guard is the smallest full-arch night guard on the market. It provides greater comfort and more robust protection than anything else available along with the accurate fit of the D-SAD and the laudable service and expertise you’ve come to expect from Panthera Dental. Easier delivery. Higher quality. Extra strength. Your patient’s dentistry will be the true testament to its effectiveness.
Diane Robichaud, t.d., is a Panthera Dental Research and Development Council Member. She can be reached at diane@pantheradental.com.
- Dawson P.E., A classification system for occlusions that relates maximal intercuspation to the position and condition of the temporomandibular joints, The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 1996, V.76, N.1, 60-66
- Okeson JP, The effects of hard and soft occlusal splints on nocturnal bruxism, J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 1987; 114:788-91.
