Can mouth guards treat bruxism?

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, often occurs during sleep. Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. In some cases, your dentist or physician may recommend taking a muscle relaxant before bedtime. 

However, because children's teeth and jaws change and grow so quickly it is not usually a damaging habit that requires treatment and most outgrow it by adolescence. 

Mouth guards or splints are commonly used to treat bruxism. Guards or splints are meant for use whenever you are clenching or bruxing; most patients will place them in before going to sleep, and the guards protect your teeth against involuntary grinding and clenching movements that happen at night. The guard only goes over the teeth of one jaw because it is meant to stop the teeth from grinding against each other. These appliances do not stop the clenching and bruxing but can alleviate the effects caused by clenching and bruxing.