Mouthguards covering your teeth are protective devices to safeguard your teeth and gums. In contrast to over-the-counter mouthguards, custom-fitted appliances better fit and protect your teeth. In addition, night guards can help damage teeth grinding. Children and adults must use mouthguards for contact sports or activities like cycling.
Dental devices that help cover your teeth to protect your tongue, teeth, cheeks, and gums from trauma are called mouthguards. This dental appliance also protects your teeth from the damage caused by teeth grinding and sporting injuries.
Mouthguards might become essential for children and adults. For example, you might receive a recommendation for a mouthguard from the dentist near me if you or your child is affected by bruxism, play contact sports like basketball, football, lacrosse, and soccer, increasing your risk of getting hit in the face, or even take part in noncontact sports with a high fall risk such as ice skating, gymnastics, and biking.
You can find two main categories of mouthguards created to protect your teeth from injuries during sporting activities or damage due to teeth grinding and clenching. The appliances appear different and serve different purposes. If you need a mouthguard as recommended by your dentist, there are various methods to purchase them.
The different kinds of mouthguards include:
Using mouthguards is not challenging and doesn’t require specialized training from the providers. If involved in contact sports, you can wear these appliances over your teeth as recommended by the provider or your dentist. For example, if you are undergoing treatment from orthodontics 77070 to straighten crooked and misaligned teeth, these appliances can help protect the braces when playing contact sports. However, you must ensure you invest in a custom-fitted mouthguard because they are best designed for these purposes. Customized mouthguards fit the unique shape of the braces or other restorations in your mouth.
Depending on the frequency of your use and the wear-and-tear, the appliance makes customized mouthguards last for several years with proper care. However, some people might need mouthguards replaced more frequently and are recommended to take the mouthguard with them during dental checkups to ensure the dentist inspects the device for cracks or other signs of wear.
Over-the-counter and boil and bite guards do not have similar durability and might need replacements every few months. Children and teens may need frequent mouthguard replacements because of changes in their teeth and jaw.
Mouthguards are prone to picking up bacteria from the mouth. Therefore you must clean your teeth before placing the mouthguard over your teeth. Mouthguards also need attention, making it essential for you not to expose them to direct sunlight or hot water because heat can cause the appliance to warp and appear distorted. The mouthguard requires storage in a ventilated case when not in use or traveling to sporting activities. The mouthguard also needs rinsing after every use and brushing with soapy water for cleaning before letting it dry. Keeping mouthguards away from pets is suggested by dentists.
Using mouthguards becomes essential to prevent injuries to your teeth and mouth from sporting or other accidents. However, investing in a customized mouthguard proves beneficial because it prevents severe injuries that can leave you with chipped or lost teeth. Therefore if you need a custom-made dental appliance, please do not hesitate to contact Oasis Modern Dentistry & Orthodontics — Implant Dentistry and Periodontics for the protective device you need from an experienced provider.
