Mouthguards

What is a mouth guard?

Mouth guards are dental appliances that cover your teeth. Dentists recommend them for a number of reasons, and there are many different types. Children and adults alike can benefit from mouth guards.

Most mouth guards fit over your upper teeth. In some instances, your dentist may recommend a mouth guard for your lower teeth, as well.

What does a mouth guard do?

Dentists recommend mouth guards for many different reasons. You might need one if you:

Grind or clench your teeth (bruxism).
Play contact sports such as football, basketball, hockey, soccer or boxing.
Participate in activities with a high fall risk, such as gymnastics, biking or ice skating.
Snore.
Have obstructive sleep apnea.
Have TMJ disorder.
Are there different types of mouth guards?

There are three main types of mouth guards. We can categorize them according to purpose:

Mouth guards for sports. These protect your teeth from sports-related injuries. If you play sports like boxing, wrestling, soccer, basketball, hockey or football, mouth guards can greatly reduce your risk for chipped and avulsed (knocked out) teeth.

Mouth guards for grinding teeth. Night guard: Many people grind, clench, or gnash their teeth while asleep. This condition is called bruxism, and it is a consequence of stress. Thus, you will need to wear a dental night guard to help minimize tooth wear and tear caused by overnight grinding and clenching.
These appliances help protect your teeth from the effects of grinding and clenching. They may also reduce the effects of TMJ disorders. You can wear this type of mouth guard any time, night or day. But because most people grind or clench their teeth during sleep, it’s common to wear them at night. (Some people refer to these appliances as night guards.)

Snoring and sleep apnea mouth guards. People with chronic snoring or obstructive sleep apnea may benefit from a custom mouth guard. This type of appliance shifts and repositions your jaw to open your airway during sleep.

–How is a sports guard different from a night guard?

Despite the similarity in their names, a night guard should not be confused with a sports guard, as they both serve different purposes.

–Purpose

While a night guard is crafted to prevent damage to your teeth from grinding and clenching, a sports mouth guard covers your teeth and gums to protect them as well as the soft tissues surrounding your gum area and cheeks from blunt force trauma during sports.

–Function

Unlike sports guards, night guards enable your saliva to neutralize acids that can cause cavities and wash away food particles. These orthodontic appliances will help prevent plaque or tartar from developing on your teeth.

–Personalization

A night guard for teeth grinding is usually fitted precisely to your teeth and bite because it aims to minimize damage caused to your teeth’s surfaces from grinding against each other. Since sports guards are made of soft plastic or thicker rubber material, they are not designed to fit your bite.

–Who needs a night guard?

Have you been waking up with chronic headaches and jaw pain? Has anyone told you that you grind your teeth in your sleep? If so, a custom night guard might be the solution. Wearing a night guard for jaw clenching and teeth grinding can help protect your teeth from excessive damage and provide relief from joint pain.

If you’ve been told you snore loudly, a night guard can help reduce the possibility of snoring while you sleep. This is possible as night guards increase airflow, helping you to breathe better, virtually eliminating snoring in some individuals, and allowing for a more restful sleep. It can also benefit your sleeping partner tremendously.