5 Top Reasons to Wear a Mouth Guard

Playing sports can be fun until you get a blow to the face and lose a tooth, among other injuries. Sports accidents are among the key causes of soft tissue and dental injuries like chips, cracks, and knock-outs. In worst-case scenarios, sports accidents can cause jaw damage and concussions. Wearing a sports mouth guard during sports is an excellent way to protect your mouth against sports injuries.

A mouth guard also comes in handy if you grind or clench your teeth when sleeping (bruxism). Regularly grinding your teeth causes them to wear down and weaken, resulting in tooth damage like chips, breaks, and infections. Severe bruxism can also cause great discomfort and jaw problems like TMJ. Wearing a nightguard prevents teeth from grinding against each other, reducing dental damage and other problems like sleep apnea.

What are Mouth Guards?

A mouth guard is a protective retainer-like dental device that covers teeth and gums to protect them or reduce injuries. You can wear it on either the bottom or top teeth. Whether you’re getting a mouthguard for sports, bruxism, or snoring, they are three main types of guards you can choose from including:

• Stock mouth guards. These mouthguards are cheap and easily accessible in the nearby drugstore without a prescription. They are ready-made and come in small, medium, and large sizes. Since everyone’s jaw structure is different, it might be difficult to find a perfect fit. Similarly, these guards tend to be bulky and made from low-quality materials. Thus, they offer the least protection, comfort, and durability.
• Boil-and-bite mouth guards. You should boil the guard and bite it down, as the name suggests. It creates a custom-like mold around your teeth. Like stock guards, boil and bite guards are pre-made and easily accessible in most drug and sports stores. Still, these mouthguards tend to be bulky and less durable.
• Custom-made mouthguards. While expensive, custom-made mouthguards are your best option, especially if you play sports or grind your teeth frequently. Custom guards are made by a dentist using impressions of your teeth. Therefore, they fit over your teeth perfectly while offering the most protection possible. They also last longer than generic guards. Visit our dentist on l4z 2v4 for custom mouth guards in Mississauga, ON.

Importance of Getting the Right Mouthguard

Most people need to pay more attention to the importance of getting a quality mouthguard. A custom and quality mouthguard offers excellent comfort and protection from:

• Teeth damage

There’s always a possibility of getting a blow to the jaw when playing sports. Wearing a mouth guard creates a protective barrier between the upper and bottom teeth, reducing the risk of your teeth crashing against each other. There’s less risk of your teeth chipping or breaking.

Regular teeth grinding and clenching can cause significant dental damage. Wearing a nightguard also creates a barrier between the upper and bottom teeth, preventing them from pressing each other and reducing the damage to the teeth when sleeping.

• Tooth displacement or knock-outs

Receiving a hard blow to the jaw can displace or completely knock off your tooth. A mouth guard acts like a shock absorber, reducing the impact of a collision on the jaw and reducing the severity of your injuries. The guard also distributes the force of a blow over all the teeth, reducing the risk of one or a few teeth taking a major blow which can cause them to fall out.

• Soft tissues injuries

A blow to the face or jaw can cause you to bite your tongue or cheeks. Similarly, tooth injuries like chips and breaks can hurt your gums, cheeks, and tongue, causing mild to severe pain, swelling, or bleeding. Wearing a mouth guard prevents dental injuries, minimizing the risk of hurting your cheeks and tongue.

• Jaw and head injuries

A direct blow to the jaw or head is a common cause of jaw fractures and concussions. Unfortunately, these injuries can be problematic and lead to serious consequences that can cause absence from sports. Night bruxism can also cause significant jaw pain and disorders such as TMJ. Wearing a mouth guard can prevent such severe complications.

• Invasive and costly treatments

The cost of buying a quality custom mouth guard from our dentist near you is way lower than that of getting treatments for dental, soft tissue, jaw, and head injuries. For instance, severe tooth damage from bruxism or sports injuries can lead to extraction, causing the need for replacements like dental implants, which can be invasive and expensive.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you interested in high-quality custom mouthguards? Contact Dr. Jeff Levman – Mississauga, ON, for more information.