A mouthguard is a dental appliance custom-created to cover and protect your teeth. These accessories are recommended by dentists for various reasons and come in many different styles. Children and adults can wear them to safeguard their teeth from dental trauma.
Who Needs a Mouthguard?
Preventative dentistry is a part of dentistry that concentrates on maintaining good oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral conditions. By routinely visiting a dental hygienist, you can reduce the need for costly dental treatment while maintaining your overall health.
Participate in contact sports, like football, hockey, or martial arts Participate in activities with a high fall risk, like ice skating or gymnastics Clench or grind your teeth (bruxism)
If you require a mouth guard for contact sports, you must wear it during every practice and game.
Types of Mouthguards
There are many types of mouthguards, but the two most common are guards for sports and grinding your teeth.
Mouthguards for Sports
When participating in sports, whether high, low, or no-impact, you’re at risk of experiencing various types of dental trauma. Wearing a mouthguard during practices and games protects your teeth from sports-related injuries like lip and cheek lacerations.
A mouthguard can also decrease your chances of broken or knocked-out teeth when participating in sports like boxing, wrestling, or soccer.
Mouthguards for Grinding
This type of mouthguard protects your teeth from the adverse effects of grinding and clenching. It can also reduce the effects of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
Although a grinding mouthguard is most commonly worn at night (hence the term “night guard”), you can wear it anytime. Most people grind their teeth at night, but many do so during the day.
Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard or Night Guard
When you wear a mouthguard, you add a layer of valuable protection to your teeth. Wearing a custom appliance can save you money by preventing damage to your teeth that requires costly dental treatment.
These appliances protect you from the following:
Knocked-out (avulsed) teeth Chipped teeth Damage to tissues Wear and tear from clenching and grinding Jaw pain, headaches, and other TMJ disorder symptomsHow Is a Mouthguard Made?
Crestview Family Dental uses an iTero digital scanner to capture a digital impression of your teeth. We send these images to a dental lab, where a technician makes your mouthguard or night guard to perfectly fit your unique dental anatomy. The custom appliance will be shipped to our office in approximately two weeks.
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