Nightguards
Occlusal splints commonly called as bite guards or nightguards are used to protect your teeth while you sleep. Nightguards are recommended by the dentist if she sees that your teeth are being worn down from constant clenching and grinding.
If you wake up every morning with headaches, jaw pain or tooth pain, it may be worth consulting your dentist. You may be going through a condition known as bruxism.
Apart from this they also help to prevent injuries to soft tissues like your gums.
What Causes Bruxism?
- Stress and Anxiety
- Poorly done fillings and crowns
- Misaligned teeth and poor occlusion (the way your teeth meet together)
- Sleep disorder or sleep apnoea
Unlike a mouth guard, night guards are made of a harder plastic and only covers the biting surfaces of teeth. A night guard also helps in supporting your jaw and giving it the relief from all day grinding. Make sure to get your Nightguard made customised to your mouth at the dentist.
If night guards are not tolerated, there are other ways to treat night grinding with the help of a dentist.
Mouthguards
Injuries to the mouth and jaw are some of the most common injuries received by athletes, thus, protecting your smile while playing sports is essential.
A mouthguard is a thick protective shell covering your upper teeth and gums. Its main function is to protect you from dental injury, effectively shielding your teeth from external damage or trauma.
Such dental injuries include:
- Fractured and chipped teeth
- Bruising and other soft tissue damage
- Concussion
- Nerve damage
Canadian Dental Association recommends to wear a mouthguard if you participate in contact sports like hockey, baseball, football, soccer, boxing, basketball, volleyball, water polo, martial arts, wrestling, rugby as well as skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, weightlifting and wrestling.
The majority of dental-related sporting injuries can be avoided through the use of a custom-fit mouthguard, personalized to fit the athlete’s teeth and gums for maximum comfort and protection.
Types of mouth guards
Stock, boil-and-bite, and custom mouth guards are the three kinds of mouth guards available. The level of protection for the teeth depends on the type of mouth guard. Below is a brief overview of each type:
- Stock: Stock or generic mouth guards are affordable since they are offered as a generalized option. Therefore, these mouth guards can be unpleasant and make breathing and talking difficult. Stock mouth guards are not recommended since they do not protect the teeth adequately while participating in contact sports
- Boil-and-bite: Boil-and-bite mouth guards are fabricated from thermoplastic polymer that softens when exposed to hot water and can then be bitten into. Although the material conforms to the form of the teeth, it is not as durable or comfortable to wear
- Custom: Custom-made sports mouth guards provide a degree of protection unrivaled by anything available at the local sporting goods shop. The dentist will take dental impressions to ensure a proper fit. Custom mouth guards for sports are made of both sturdy and comfortable materials, allowing the wearer to breathe and speak freely
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