Mouth Guard for sports and bruxism
SPORTS MOUTH GUARD
When playing any sport that has a significant risk of injury, everyone should wear a mouth protector, especially those that wear braces or have dental work.
Mouth protectors can help prevent major injury, such as broken teeth, in the mouth by cushioning the upper teeth. If you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw, we may suggest a mouth protector for these teeth as well. A mouth protector creates a wall between your braces and your cheeks protector your braces from damaging soft tissue.
Make sure the mouth guard properly fits to your mouth while you are wearing it, making it easy to talk and breathe.
There are three types of mouth guards:
1. Stock mouthguard
Stock mouth protectors are inexpensive and come pre-formed, ready to wear. Unfortunately, they often don’t fit very well. They can be bulky and can make breathing and talking difficult.
2. Boil and bite mouthguard
Boil and bite mouth protectors also can be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. They should be softened in water, then inserted and allowed to adapt to the shape of your mouth. If you don’t follow the directions carefully you can wind up with a poor-fitting mouth protector.
3. Custom-fitted mouthguard
Custom-fitted mouth protectors are made by your dentist for you personally. They are more expensive than the other versions, but because they are customized they can offer a better fit than anything you can buy off the shelf. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) recommends that only a professionally custom-fitted mouthguard should be worn.
Talk to Drs Wong & Cheng about selecting a mouth guard that works best for you.
Clink on the following links to find out more:
What to do if a tooth is knocked out
What type of Mouthguard should I wear?
NIGHTGUARD
Stop clenching & grinding! If you are one of the millions of people that clench or grind your teeth together, you may greatly benefit from a night guard or splint. There are many proposed reasons why patients clench and grind, but it is clear that whatever the cause, the destruction that can be caused to the teeth, gums and bone in a person that is clenching or grinding, is very substantial.
The process of making the nightguard is relatively simple. First, we make impressions of your upper and lower teeth. Then at a subsequent visit we will try the snightguard in, make any adjustments that are necessary and advise you on how often to wear your nightguard and how to clean it.
Please call us at 8337 4887 if you have any questions or to schedule an appointment.
