Protecting Your Smile
Mouthguards are oral devices designed to protect your teeth from impact, injury, and damage. These simple yet highly effective devices are commonly worn during sports, recreational activities, and even while sleeping to prevent tooth and mouth injuries.
What Are Mouthguards?
Mouthguards are custom-made devices designed to protect your teeth by acting as shock absorbers, shielding them from impacts and injuries. Similar to how an airbag protects passengers in a car, mouthguards provide crucial protection for your teeth.
Typically made from durable laminate or plastic materials, mouthguards cover the teeth and surrounding gum area. There are three main types of mouthguards commonly used:
- Custom-fitted mouthguards: These mouthguards are custom designed by your dentist from the impression of your teeth. This kind of mouthguard provides the best comfort, protection and fit.
- Boil-and-bite mouthguards: You can purchase them over-the-counter and usually soaked in hot water to make them molded around your teeth. Although these are quite affordable, they do not offer as good protection as the custom made ones.
- Stock mouthguards: These are pre-made and ready to wear but offer the least protection due to their generic fit. These are mouthguards with a generic fit and usually offer the least protection out of all three.
How do they work?
Mouthguards absorb and distribute the force of a sudden blow to the face or mouth, protecting the teeth and preventing injury. They provide a cushion for your teeth, preventing them from colliding with one another or crashing into the jawbone.
By spreading the impact over a wider area, mouthguards reduce the risk of:
- Tooth fractures or avulsions (knocked-out teeth): Mouthguards protect the teeth from impact injury and minimizes the risk of breakage or teeth displacement.
- Soft tissue injuries: Mouthguards also protect the cheeks, tongue, lips, and gums from injuries.
- Jaw fractures: By absorbing the shock, mouthguards reduce the force of impact that reaches the jawbone, thereby decreasing the risk of fractures.
- Concussions: Some studies suggest that mouthguards may be effective in reducing the severity of concussions.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems: Certain individuals are used to grinding their teeth at night, which is also called bruxism. Mouthguards also helps in reducing the strain on the jaw muscle that happens from grinding the teeth.
Mouthguards are ideal for individuals participating in sports such as boxing, MMA and others where there is a serious risk of injury. They are also great for people suffering from bruxism or engaging in recreational activities involving risk of injuries.
They can significantly reduce the impact of an injury to your face, protecting your teeth and your facial appearance.
