School has started all over the country and with it comes opening season for autumn sports. Even as we encourage our students to participate for their health, the risk for tooth damage spikes. One really important way to protect against damage to teeth, whether related to sports or other oral conditions, is to let us fit you for the perfect mouth guard.
A mouth guard is a custom made prosthetic dental appliance that fits over the teeth and gums, protecting them from injury.
Who Should Wear a Mouth Guard?
Contact Sports
It is most commonly used during contact sports such as soccer, hockey, baseball, and football, where there are high chances of a maxillofacial injury.
For Functional Dental Habits
The most common among them is bruxism, or excessive tooth grinding during sleep or daytime. The mouthguard protects tooth wear by serving as a biting medium between the upper and lower teeth. This type of mouth guard when used to treat sleep bruxism is known as a nocturnal bite plate.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders
In certain cases, dentist also prescribe mouth guards to patients who suffer from disorders of the TMJ.
Orthodontic Patients
Since the mouthguards serve a protective role, dentist sometimes advise orthodontic patients, especially those wearing fixed orthodontic appliances such as braces, to wear a mouthguard, in order to protect the oral mucosa from trauma as well as damage to the
What Are the Types of Mouthguards?
There are three types of Mouthguards:
Stock Mouthguards
These are preformed and are available in various sizes, ready to wear, and are bulky as well, which makes talking and breathing difficult. Hence, dentist do not recommendthe use of these appliances. These are easily available at most sporting stores.
Boil and Bite Mouth Guards
These mouth guards offer better fit than the stock ones, and are also available at most sports shops. These are made from a thermoplastic resins. When they are placed in hot water, they become softer. At this stage, an impression of the teeth and gums can be recorded with them, when the patient bites on them and shapes them using pressure from fingers and the tongue.
Custom Made Mouth Guards
These are fabricated within the dental labs, using dental acrylic resin. An impression of the teeth and gums is made at the dental office, and then sent to the lab, where the Mouth guard is prepared from gypsum molds of the impression. Since these appliances are custom made, they offer the best fit and retention, and are more durable than the other two. However, since their fabrication is time consuming and must be precise, these are more expensive than those available in the markets.
How to Care For Your Mouth Guard?
To care for your mouth guards, you should keep the following things in mind:
- After every use, rinse your mouth guard with cold water or mild soap solution, and a soft tooth brush. This will prevent bacteria and fungus from adhering and growing on your appliance,
- Do not put your mouth guard in hot water, especially if they are made from acrylic resin. This may lead to warping or distortion of the appliance.
- Regularly check your mouth guard for signs of wear. If you observe any holes in your appliance, consult your dentist for repair, or if you use a preformed mouth guard, purchase a new one.
- Don’t forget to bring your mouth guard with you when you visit your dentist. This will help in detection of any faults in your appliance, or to provide you with a newer appliance.
As you can see, mouth guards can be an important support for you or your child’s teeth’s well-being. As sport season begins, consider calling us for an appointment and have your child’s sport mouth guard ready to go for the first surge of practice hours and big games, or aid you in preventing grinding with all the stress the changes of a new school year brings. We’d be happy to help at our Carrollton office so give us a call.
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