Mouthguards, also known as night guards or sports guards, are designed to protect the teeth and jaw from damage, either from night grinding (bruxism) or from impacts inflicted from contact sports such as football or hockey.
Night Guards
People who suffer bruxism or teeth grinding often find wearing a night guard helpful in relieving stress generated from their jaw muscles while sleeping; often times allowing them to sleep better and waking up refreshed and without a sore jaw. Because the grinding occurs while sleeping, the sub-conscious grinding forces placed on the teeth are extremely high, much higher than that can be generated if the individual was awake. As a result, the enamel covering the teeth becomes thinned or worn out, more prone to decay and infections and if left unchecked, can lead to the total loss of the teeth. The teeth will literally be grounded down to the gumline. To help prevent this, a custom-made night guard can simply be placed over the teeth, and when the grinding begins, the teeth can safely glide over each other without wearing each other down. The night guard will wear out, but not the teeth. Another benefit to a night guard/bite guard is it also helps jaw muscles from getting overly tense, so you will wake up without sore jaw muscles.
Sports Mouth Guards
When living an active lifestyle, accidents happen. Accidents that occur to the face and jaw often resulting into serious damage to the teeth and the surrounding tissues. In many high-risk contact sports such as football, it is a common practice that participants wear a protective mouth guard. Why? Because mouthguards cover the teeth, and they help absorb the impact of the collision and minimize the force placed on the teeth and jaw.
Additionally, because the materials used to construct a mouth guard is typically soft in nature, not only does the mouth guard help absorb the impact forces to the teeth, but it may also lessen the force placed to the skull and brain.
Why customized night guards and sports Mouth Guards?
Although mouth guards are available at many retailers, there is an advantage of getting one custom made at the dentist, like Horseheads Dental. Custom made mouth guards have the most accurate fit because a digital impression is taken of the actual teeth and natural bite. Why is that important? Without the accuracy, the guard can become loose and fall out of the mouth. Often individuals who choose an over the counter vs a professional dental guard experience pain and other complications over prolong use. So if the need for superior fit and accuracy of a sports mouth guard is a priority, call our office at Horseheads Dental for a professional fitting.
With us, you’ll notice a difference. Your smile is the first thing that people see, so why not show a dazzling, healthy one.
Preventive Dentistry Services
Dr. Warren E. Eng and his trained staff provide dental care for patients of all ages. You can bring your entire family here for dental checkups, comprehensive examinations, teeth whitening, and more.