Guarding Your Teeth with Dental Appliances
You can keep the structural integrity of your teeth safe by using various mouth guards and bite appliances. Mouth guards are not just for those who play sports. There are other conditions such as teeth grinding, sleep apnea and snoring, and TMJ.
Always work with your dentist to determine which protectors would be the best for you. An effective guard should be comfortable, durable, and easy to clean. Here are some examples of the types of appliances you might use.
- Sports guards (also known as mouth guards) are important if you are playing contact sports such as football, hockey, or basketball. Even if you are participating in other sports like gymnastics, skateboarding, or biking, you can still benefit from wearing one. These guards usually only cover your upper teeth; however, your dentist can make a guard for your lower teeth too.
- Stock mouth protectors are preformed and ready to wear. Generally, they are inexpensive and do not offer much protection because little can be done to adjust their fit. They tend to be bulky and make breathing difficult. Most dentists do not recommend their use.
- Boil and bite mouth protectors may offer a better fit because they are made from a thermoplastic material and when it is heated in hot water, you can place it in your mouth and shape it around your teeth using pressure from your fingers or tongue.
- Custom-fitted mouth protectors are offered by your dentist. They are individually designed to fit your mouth alone. It is more expensive than the other two types; however, it does offer the most protection for your mouth.
- Protecting your braces or fixed bridgework with a properly fitted mouthguard can be especially important because a blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouthguard can also provide a barrier between the braces and your cheeks and lips, which can help you avoid injuries to the cheeks and gums.
- For snoring and sleep apnea, an appliance can often help with this condition. An anti-snoring device can hold the lower jaw in a forward position so that it does not open during the night, causing the airway to restrict. It helps to provide an unobstructed airway to aid in the reduction of snoring and to improve breathing.
- A bruxism appliance can help you to stop grinding or clenching your teeth at night. You may not even realize you are having this problem but are experiencing jaw pain, headaches, or face pain during the day. This nightly unintentional and unconscious movement can also cause damage to your teeth. Your dentist can diagnose and treat bruxism to help you avoid the severe effects which can lead to TMJ disorder, or the wearing down of teeth enamel.
- One of the treatments for TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder can be the use of a mouth guard (also called a splint) which helps to raise the bite and reposition the jaw in a position that relieves the patient of symptoms and discomfort. For those who suffer from TMJ disorder, it is recommended to always seek a solution from the dentist.
It is easy to protect your smile with a solution such as using a sports or night guard. It is also important to work closely with your dentist when choosing an appliance right for you.