Keep Your Smile Safe with Mouthguards

Mouthguards, as the name suggests, is a mouth protector. Mouthguards minimize the risk of broken teeth and reduce the risk of injuries to your lips, tongue, face, or jaw by providing a cushion to your face.

Mouthguards cover the upper teeth and are a great way of protecting the soft tissues of tongue lips and inner lining of the cheeks. Moreover, mouthguards have recently found importance in reducing teeth grinding, clenching, and snoring, amongst other uses.

Types of Mouthguards

Based on application mouthguards can broadly be classified as

Stock Mouthguard

This mouthguard is the most widely available, inexpensive, and affordable. This comes in small, medium, and large size, is available in almost all drug, and sports stores. Although widely available, these mouthguards cover only the top teeth. These are usually uncomfortable and fail to provide a tight fit.

Boil-And-Bite Mouthguard

This type of mouthguard is equally widespread and is available in almost all drug stores. Unlike other mouthguards, this type of mouthguard is available in only one size, which can be customized to fit your teeth. As the name suggests, this mouthguard is boiled till it is softened and then is placed over the teeth to fit appropriately.

Custom-Made Mouthguards

This is a tailor-made mouthguard. The dentist usually takes a mold of your teeth and use it to create the mouthguard that is appropriate to the size and shape of your mouth and teeth. If you suffer from snoring, teeth clenching, or sleep apnea, this custom-made mouthguard is most suitable and comfortable. Although expensive from the rest, various dental insurance plans cover up for the cost.

A Look at the mouthguards Suggested by Dentists in Coppell, Tx

With the advancement of medical science, mouthguards find immense application in dentistry. If you possess dental insurance, the effective cost reduces considerably.

Bruxism or teeth grinding or clenching is a sleep-related movement disorder that causes several ailments as tooth pain, sore gums, and jaw pain. Wearing a mouthguard during sleep keeps your jaws separated and reduces the pressure considerably on the teeth and jaws; thus, the chances of damage also minimizes.

A potentially dangerous sleep disorder is sleep apnea, which causes a person to stop breathing while asleep temporarily. This increases the chances of heart disease and stroke as the brain is unable to receive enough oxygen.

Often patients suffering from sleep apnea use CPAP machines, which aids in keeping the airways open as the patient sleeps. A dental mouthguard can provide the same effect and reduces the chances of stroke by facilitating airflow during sleep. A custom-made mouthguard pushes the lower jaw and tongue forward, keeping the airway open.

Mouthguards have been effective in reducing snoring. Snoring is the vibration of soft tissues in the upper airway. The mouthguards pull the lower jaw forward and facilitate airflow.

How Can You Take Care of Your Mouthguards?

Dr. Toya Dudley suggests specific ways of taking care of the mouthguards. Since mouthguards are associated with the mouth, it should be clean and hygienic. To increase the longevity of your mouthguard and to keep it clean, these steps may be followed.

• Use a toothbrush and a toothpaste to clean the mouthguard after every use
• Even if the mouthguard is in any container, keep it out of reach of any pets
• Store your mouthguard in a hard and well-ventilated container for protection and allow it to dry in between uses
• Floss and brush your teeth before putting on the mouthguard
• A mouthguard may be rinsed with cold water or mouthwash before putting it on or after taking it out. Hot water should be avoided to maintain its shape
• Before starting to use a mouthguard, always go for an appointment with the dentist. The dentist can make your mouthguard fit well
• Check your mouthguard for holes or other damage regularly, which means the mouthguard needs replacement

It is evident that mouthguards won’t last a lifetime and needs replacement. It is advisable to replace your mouthguard once you start to notice holes or signs of tear. Ideally, mouthguards should be replaced every two to three years.

Mouthguard for Brace

In consultation with your dentist, you can choose the perfect mouthguard that suits your needs. Be it to safeguard your teeth and lips in the game of soccer, hockey, or boxing or as prevention from snoring or sleeping apnea; mouthguard finds wide application. A mouthguard can also be worn with braces. Do you need help with your mouthguard? We at Compassion Smiles can help you. Contact us for a consultation now!