Wearing a sports guard helps reduce the risk of damage to teeth and gums.
Dental mouth guards are protective coverings that shield teeth from damage, both caused by grinding and clenching, and from athletic injuries. Mouth guards are recommended for both children and adults, and our family dentistry services can help provide custom-fit mouth guards for all ages.
Sports Guards
Sports guards are dental mouth guards that are specifically designed to prevent mouth injuries or damage to teeth in athletes. They reduce the impact of collisions or falls on your teeth and soft gums by absorbing and dissipating the force of the injury. While athletes participating in contact sports – like football and hockey – are the most obvious candidates for sports guards, even non-contact athletics like gymnastics and skating can lead to serious mouth injury.
Wearing a sports guard helps reduce the risk of damage, and while off-the-shelf mouth guards purchased in sporting goods stores are better than no mouth guard at all, the best protection is provided by a custom-fitted sports guard. We can help fit you for a personally-tailored mouth guard that will protect your teeth and mouth during all kinds of sports and recreation.
Night Guards
Night guards are dental mouth guards that provide protection and relief for individuals who have issues with clenching their teeth or grinding teeth while sleeping. Nighttime teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can lead to chipped or broken teeth, flattened teeth, increased temperature sensitivity, severe damage to dentures, and receding gums. Additionally, bruxism can also cause severe headaches and jaw pains upon waking.
Using a night guard helps prevent teeth from actually coming into contact during the night, drastically reducing the risk of damage. We can help assess your nighttime grinding patterns to determine your specific protection needs, and create a custom-fitted night guard that will provide the best protection for your teeth without being overly bulky or uncomfortable — like many store-bought night guards tend to be.
TMJ Mouth Guards
Teeth grinding and clenching can also be a symptom of TMJ disorder. Specially-fitted TMJ mouth guards – such as a splint or bite plate – can be an integral part of a TMJ treatment plan, and help alleviate the pain and discomfort of TMJ-related teeth grinding.
To learn more about how night guards, sports guards, or TMJ guards can help protect your teeth, contact us or book an appointment today.